Something that is not spoken about enough when it comes evaluating the quality of education is the social aspect of school life; meeting, knowing and learning to get along with our peers.
The linear nature of physical growth means that in the earlier stages of life our companions are comprised of those who are similar to us physically, emotionally even spiritually and this certainly makes for an easier collaboration- in good and in bad.
“New friends may be poems but old friends are alphabets. Don’t forget the alphabets because you will need them to read the poems.” William Shakespeare
As we grow older we may “find our tribe” based on specific but varied reasons, the difference being that physical proximity may not necessarily be a factor unlike being “stuck” with whoever is enroled at your school. However no matter whom we meet and where we go after school, there’s something about childhood memories; somehow they never fade. We remember our classmates’ full names, where they sat in class and even that one time when they fell off a chair during a sleepy literature lesson. If we give it more thought, we even remember the exact emotion we felt during certain time whether gleeful about our cheeky escapades or frightened to the core when we ran into trouble; swapping holiday stories at the beginning of the term or bonding over how much we missed home while counting the days to the end of term.
Boarding Besties
Boarding school perhaps makes for even stronger bonding outcomes simply but not entirely because of the amount of time spent together. Often when a group of old school friends get together they are likely to spend more time going down memory lane. Revisiting old feuds, chuckling about inside jokes and comparing our current selves to our school days selves. More importantly and humorously , remembering those who had a hand in molding us- members of staff!
School life
Schools as significant stakeholders of childhood experiences should put thought and effort into the experiences they provide. This means careful consideration of policies, culture, staff hires and the infrastructure in place as they have a direct contribution to the kind of stories we tell when we revisit our school days.
Turi Homecoming
This December, we will be revisiting the “good old days” (old being anywhere from 50 to 5 months ago) when Old Turians will make all the way to the village where it all went down. 92 years later, the first Homecoming reunion will be taking place on campus. This will be an opportunity to catch up with old friends, make new ones and indeed remind ourselves to continue carrying the heart of Turi wherever we go. We will also be officially launching the Turi Alumni Association.
Tell an Old Turian, to tell an Old Turian.
For more information please contact DevelopmentOffice@turimail.co.ke