We are well over half way through our semester and it is time for an update about LAMB School. Busy seems to be a word we have used once too many, and I wonder if perhaps we should discontinue its use. I would like to describe a week at LAMB School from the perspective of managing the workload.
Every Tuesday, the following week's schedule is set, last Tuesday was no different. Sumita had asked for Sunday off to go to a Sunday School Leader's seminar in Nilphamari and April had made the necessary changes to the schedule for Sunday. (The work week is from Sunday through Thursday in Bangladesh.)
On Thursday afternoon we had snacks with Prodip, who's last day it was as Admin Co-ordinator at the school, by the time we were done talking, it was dark outside. Milon had not been at the farewell for Prodip because he had gone to attend his Master's classes scheduled for every Thursday afternoon. He called me shortly after six to tell me that his professor had informed the whole class that their exams were not going to be at the end of November as they had thought but would start on Sunday. When he explained the difficulty he, and others, would have in organising time off after offices had closed on the last day of the week, the professor apologised and said the order had come from the education authorities in Dhaka.
April and I met Saturday morning to talk about cover for Milon and while I went to interview teachers, April found a way of covering all Milon's classes, including the one he was scheduled to cover for Sumita. We jokingly talked about how it would now be another week before we would have to do the schedule again and were grateful for that being done.
On Monday, just before lunch, we had a call from our neighbouring school that it was necessary for me to go to Dinajpur in order to finalize registration for three of our Grade 9 students to sit a compulsory exam in English and yes; they really felt I had to go. Fortunately Monday afternoons are kept free for me on the schedule because it is a day I often have meetings so no changes were needed in the schedule, and Tarcisius agreed to lead the teachers meeting for me.
In Dinajpur, we submitted the children's registration forms and went to another office to talk about the 'English Version.' the gentleman there immediately called yet another office and sent us on our way to someone higher in the system. In this other office we were told in no uncertain terms that we were supposed to have submitted a letter months ago informing them about this, and that they knew nothing of our students' wish to answer questions in English. We had assumed that the registration form with the request which had been submitted earlier would be enough, but that was not the case. They were upset with us, and I was less than pleased with them, because we thought we had filled in all the necessary forms. We were then asked to submit a written request, first handwritten to be submitted immediately, and then to go home and write another on a computer and print it on the school letterhead that we should bring the next day.
I called home to let April know that we needed to find cover for me for Wednesday because I had to go back to Dinajpur. We returned to LAMB, got the necessary letter written in draft form and gave it to Tarcisius and Sumita who each typed a part and had it printed and ready just after seven. (I am not able to type Bangla.)
Wednesday morning I had ample time to think about the day because someone started cutting down a tree literally four feet from my bedroom window at 5:30 am. I was pondering possible reasons and the proper assignment of guilt for the stress we had been put under. When I got to my daily reading, it was Matthew 7 about helping people with splinters in their eyes, while missing the log in one’s own. When back in Dinajpur our application was received, I was able to apologise for not having submitted the proper application and was assured that our children will have the questions they need.
In the afternoon I was able to find the schedule for the exams our children will take, they are not, as we had thought, at the end of November, but will start on 1 November. Two weeks of preparation for this change to our plans seem like lots of time compared to a weekend.
We will change our plans again and trust that it is all in God’s hands.
Every Tuesday, the following week's schedule is set, last Tuesday was no different. Sumita had asked for Sunday off to go to a Sunday School Leader's seminar in Nilphamari and April had made the necessary changes to the schedule for Sunday. (The work week is from Sunday through Thursday in Bangladesh.)
On Thursday afternoon we had snacks with Prodip, who's last day it was as Admin Co-ordinator at the school, by the time we were done talking, it was dark outside. Milon had not been at the farewell for Prodip because he had gone to attend his Master's classes scheduled for every Thursday afternoon. He called me shortly after six to tell me that his professor had informed the whole class that their exams were not going to be at the end of November as they had thought but would start on Sunday. When he explained the difficulty he, and others, would have in organising time off after offices had closed on the last day of the week, the professor apologised and said the order had come from the education authorities in Dhaka.
April and I met Saturday morning to talk about cover for Milon and while I went to interview teachers, April found a way of covering all Milon's classes, including the one he was scheduled to cover for Sumita. We jokingly talked about how it would now be another week before we would have to do the schedule again and were grateful for that being done.
On Monday, just before lunch, we had a call from our neighbouring school that it was necessary for me to go to Dinajpur in order to finalize registration for three of our Grade 9 students to sit a compulsory exam in English and yes; they really felt I had to go. Fortunately Monday afternoons are kept free for me on the schedule because it is a day I often have meetings so no changes were needed in the schedule, and Tarcisius agreed to lead the teachers meeting for me.
In Dinajpur, we submitted the children's registration forms and went to another office to talk about the 'English Version.' the gentleman there immediately called yet another office and sent us on our way to someone higher in the system. In this other office we were told in no uncertain terms that we were supposed to have submitted a letter months ago informing them about this, and that they knew nothing of our students' wish to answer questions in English. We had assumed that the registration form with the request which had been submitted earlier would be enough, but that was not the case. They were upset with us, and I was less than pleased with them, because we thought we had filled in all the necessary forms. We were then asked to submit a written request, first handwritten to be submitted immediately, and then to go home and write another on a computer and print it on the school letterhead that we should bring the next day.
I called home to let April know that we needed to find cover for me for Wednesday because I had to go back to Dinajpur. We returned to LAMB, got the necessary letter written in draft form and gave it to Tarcisius and Sumita who each typed a part and had it printed and ready just after seven. (I am not able to type Bangla.)
Wednesday morning I had ample time to think about the day because someone started cutting down a tree literally four feet from my bedroom window at 5:30 am. I was pondering possible reasons and the proper assignment of guilt for the stress we had been put under. When I got to my daily reading, it was Matthew 7 about helping people with splinters in their eyes, while missing the log in one’s own. When back in Dinajpur our application was received, I was able to apologise for not having submitted the proper application and was assured that our children will have the questions they need.
In the afternoon I was able to find the schedule for the exams our children will take, they are not, as we had thought, at the end of November, but will start on 1 November. Two weeks of preparation for this change to our plans seem like lots of time compared to a weekend.
We will change our plans again and trust that it is all in God’s hands.
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