The Schools of Old

🙂 Awe man!! Doesn’t it just bring a smile to you face. Remembering ’em days…..(sigh)

Can anyone ever explain why primary school experiences are such a timeless treasure.

Who remembers leaving school so excited about a soap/series that was showing on t.v. only to go to school the next day and regale each other in such excited voices about the episode you watched the previous night.

The days when we lived for, UTV and CTV: What was CTV in full? Cable television? Or Cablesat Television? The days when Pingu, Kissyfur, Punkybrewster and i think Telspin were the things that rocked television!!!

The days when the old school giants were Nakasero, Buganda Road, Kitante. When those giants had foolish and pointless wrangles and wars between them. Back when the only schools in Kampala used to be Nakasero, Buganda Road, Kitante, Bat Valley and Shimoni ‘Demonstration’ School (Moment of silence please… :))

The days when, kiboko aka caining was corporal punishment but what the heck! They still ‘walloped’ us like no problem. The times when you knew talking in class would get you in trouble, so you kept quiet, but your neighbor in class was born mouth first. So even if you kept quiet, the teacher still came in to give all of you some ‘Medicine’, so what the heck….You know the saying – If you can’t beat them, join them.

The times when teachers were incredibly creative when it came to punishments. I remember one day, one of the teachers walked into a very noisy class that was immediately shushed. He walked to the Black board, picked up a piece of chalk and then drew a cartoon on the black board then said; “take this position”. The cartoon had it’s back bent and its head on the desk with its arms at a 45 degree angle to its back! So we did, for may be 30 or 20 minutes. Then it was Kiboko time – This particular teacher was talented, his art was caining the point where the back meets the bottom.

The days when joining the music, french or drama club was for geeks only. The days when the social upstanding ones were in one class and walked in clicks. The days when 50 Shillings could buy you a ‘sombusa’. The days when the school library was so dusty you could inscribe you’re name in the dust every where. 

The days when a certain section of the school was haunted. Ghosts in the loos, hanging from trees – The more creative the mind, the more interesting the story. The days when we used to sing:

We young weeemen and Men of Uganda,

Are marching along,

The path of educayation,

Singing and Dancing ,

With joy together,

Uniting foor a better Uganda.

* That is actually how we loudly recited it

 The days when going to P.E. was such a punishment!! The only part of P.E. were the songs we chanted on the way to the field and when every were victorious. Songs like: ‘Yongezomuliro’ , Songs we made up to taunt fellow clubs.

The days when we had only four subjects and yet still carried seriously heavy bags. The days when the back of the P.6 block was where we lined up for food. Those lines……It almost felt like an EM pulse was sent trough the line. You had to have stamina to withstand. The day when a certain tree in the compound was the only one the seemed to have very many holes in the ground surrounding it. The days when boys felt it their civic responsiblity to go home one button or shoe less.

The days when you heard that there was a sick bay in school but never knew where it was. The days when walking home was the in thing, if your parents came to pick you, it felt like you mist out. The days when we carried 2 toilet papers and 1 broom. Now i wonder, I never used that toilet paper. The days when captain Majid bags rocked, and Freedom bags were the in thing.

The days when landlines rocked and voicemail (Answering machine) was not a problem. The days when we used to call mobile phones, were unheard of… When the coming of DSTV was a dream and strictly for the rich. The days when prank phone calls were the order of the holiday. When saturday classes were and excuse for you to meet.

The days when you could care less about the economy, fuel prices, or even the president of the US.

Man….Those were the days.