March Exams

“Exams?? We are giving exams to preschoolers?”, is what I asked the head teacher Roselyn last week, when she told me that during the last week of March we would be giving all of the children exams to measure their progress. It took me awhile to grasp the idea that I would be giving tests to preschoolers but it is another reminder to me how much education is valued and respected here in Kenya. Education is seen as a way to a better ones life and is not taken lightly. Roselyn told me that the parents expected these exams and would be asking for their childs results at the end of the month. So for the past two weeks we have been giving the exams , one by one to each child. We have three different tests depending on their age and cognitive ability. Also, the exams are divided into 4 sections, English, Mathematics, Science, and Creative and they take a different section every day.

I gave the tests to the older children and the majority did very well and I am very proud of them. Also , each child took taking their exam very seriously and I even got some nervous looks. I did my best to encourage each one after they took their exam, regardless of how well they did, with a high five! The high five turned out to be a hit and now I can’t walk across the room without five or six kids sticking out their hands from their desks for a high five. I tell people, if they are having a bad day, to come to the nursery school and my kids will cheer them up =).

Well I have one more week until we are off for the month of April. The children have a month long break every three months. But I won’t really be off.. We are doing a VBS for children at the childrens home and I will continue to tutor the kids during the month long break! It will give me some extra time to study for the GRE, which is take May 19th and rest up for the next term at the preschool. It is hard to believe that that term 1 at the school is already almost over and I am excited to see what the next two terms bring!