Skiving Off

After almost a month, i feel rebellious and i make a conscious effort not to go to school today.

I have been in every day since my arrival into Addis and i usually end up getting my hands dirty every Sunday. It is a fight of consciousness because there is still much i have to do on site, not least complete my filing cabinets. 

All records "have to" be kept at Admin's HQ at the Secondary site. It has "been agreed" that it makes sense to have student files on the Primary site, so i have been granted to photocopies of the front page of the inadequate Admissions forms. I can't even persuade them to give me previous report cards. 

I have requested more pertinent information on the students (religion, ethnicity/nationality, health/allergies) etc. which the current forms don't include, but i am told it is possible but it might take a while. They just point-blank refuse to make any changes to the Admissions form. 

Our two Kindergarten classes are only supposed to hold 36 students, but the Admissions department have accepted 44. We call urgently requesting they close the entry immediately. Next day we are told there is are 50 and we're forced to open a 3rd Kindy class and we are now completely filled the only possible classroom left in the building. We were scheduled to open this academic year with 355 students we have now reached 432 and spanning 56 nationalities.The congestion in the playground is scary. 

We're still short of 4 class teachers and 4 Educational Assistants despite conducting almost 30 interviews. A couple of candidates were clearly quality but clearly our salaries are not very competitive, for we were turned down. Where HR are digging up Ed Assists. candidates from i have no idea, but many can't even utter a sentence together and mainly grunt nonchalantly. 

I find out from Mr Z that one of our Ed Assists and SEN staff who has been at the school for 2 years is paid Birr 900 per month of which his rent is at least Birr 600. He's has less than US$20 to live on a month. It's too shocking. He won't be getting married any time soon.