The First Day of School

From my experience in America, on the first day of school everyone arrives full of exciting stories of the summer and anticipation for the new school year, showing off their new back-to-school outfits, and carrying backpacks full of fresh school supplies. No one wants to miss that first day of reunion with friends, or the chance to verify that they really want to take the classes on their schedule. As we opened school this month at Songea Girls, I found out that there is no such thing as the first day of school in Tanzania.

School officially opened on April 6. Even now after three weeks, not all of my students have reported. It sure makes it difficult for a teacher to get started when her students slowly trickle into school over the course of a month. I didn’t bother teaching at all the first week. When a little over half of my form VI students had arrived I started teaching them the second week. Finally I got going with my form V students who are new to the school. On Friday still only 15 out of the 35 physics students on my roster had reported to school. Maybe after this weekend most of them will have arrived.