Chifundo

I have to admit that I didn't notice Chifundo much the first term this year in Math class.  She was very quiet and didn't draw much attention to herself.  By the time, I had I didn't have much hope for her to pass.  She is from the village, her English was very poor and even simple concepts were a problem.  She did, however, make an effort and seemed, at least, to care which is more than I can say for some of the students.  Sometime during the second term, it became very clear that she made the decision that she was going to pass despite how difficult she thought the subject or how strange the accent of her teacher.  She came to Girlie and Eva on Saturdays for help with her English.  She began asking questions, offering answers and forcing the same teacher to repeat that which he said to fast in that same strange accent.  The improvement in her grades did not come right away.  The material in the second term was more difficult and she was still catching up.  She was one of the few students that received an extra comment for exceptional effort on the report card and the only one of those that still did not pass.  In the third term, she continued.  She was still very shy and did not attract unnecessary attention, but I could tell she was improving.  When I wrote the term exam, which constitutes 80% of the final score, I made it fair but certainly not easy, meaning many students that did not care and did not try would more than likely fail and have to repeat Form 1.  Math is now required to advance, but then again 40% is a passing grade.  I went on a marathon of grading papers so I could return them before the students left the next day, and I left the country the next month.  Some students that should have passed didn't and some that probably didn't deserve to pass managed to get lucky.  Many complained that it was too hard or too long.  Walking back to the house after distritbuting the exams, I passed Chifundo and knowing her score asked her what she thought of the exam.  She just smiled as big as she does (quite big) and said in a very satisified way "I passed!"...very easily I might add.