The First Grader

My people, my people.

Now, the new government

has announced

free education for all.

All they want is for you to turn up

with a birth certificate.

A government that keeps its promise?

Unbelievable!

My son needs to be educated.

Kamau Chege,

Kamau Chege. Chege!

Teacher Jane, Teacher Jane!

Come on, he's asking for you.

Please!

Teacher Katherine!

Teacher Katherine, can you come?

OK, give me a moment, please.

This is not a birth certificate.

Mama, you are not the first.

May I help you, mzee?

This is a primary school.

Mzee, they meant children, not adults.

No. I heard on the radio,

with my own ears.

They said everybody.

We have 200 students

and only 50 desks. Look at this.

We can't waste them on an old man

with one foot in the grave.

Mzee, where are your exercise books?

You need two,

and one HB pencil, sharp,

with a rubber on one end.

Those are the regulations.

Pole, mzee. Pole.

Good morning, boys and girls.

Good morning, madam!

- How are you?

- Fine, thank you, madam!

- How do you do?

- How do you do, madam?

I do very well, thank you.

I am so excited to have you here

all in my classroom.

Welcome. Karibuni.

Sit down, please.

Thank you, madam.

Now, I know that some of you

may be a little nervous,

but there's nothing to be afraid of.

Learning is about having fun,

so we are all here to have fun.

- Si ndiyo?

- Yes.

Alright, let me check.

Has everybody got their books?

- Yes!

- Very good!

- And has everybody got their pencils?

- Yes!

- OK. Good... I heard a few noes.

- Who said no?

OK, well, Francis, can you give out

some pencils, please?

OK...

Paris and Pauline,

come to the front, please.

So, everyone, tomorrow,

your books and your pencils.

- Yes.

- OK, very good, very good.

Sorry, sorry, excuse me.

Go home, mzee.

I can see you've had a hard life.

Go home and rest in peace.

Rest in peace?

I'm not dead.

Look, mzee...

My name is Kimani Ng'ang'a Maruge.

Well, Kimani Ng'ang'a Maruge,

we cannot accept anyone

without a school uniform,

and that means school shoes too.

And you do not have money

for such things.

Jane?

Mzee, why does someone as old as you

want to go to school?

I want to learn to read.

We've got too many pupils already.

I wish I could help you.

I'm sorry. Pole.

Alright, here we are.

- OK, asante sana.

- Asante.

Goodbye, Teacher.

You know that old man

I told you about?

He came back again.

I hope you did not let him in.

The poor old boy might be senile.

Why don't you stick to battles

you can win, hm?

Like finding more desks.

How was your week?

The Swedish company

hasn't paid me the consulting fee.

The government job is starting to sound

very appealing.

Except it had to be full time

in Nairobi,

and then we'd never

see each other at all.

Not if you came to Nairobi.

We'll live in a big house, make babies.

Have a little bunch of Obinchus.

Charles, I can't.

The school needs me.

What about me?

You've got me.

We've got five children

to a desk here, sir.

There are children sitting on the floor.

They can't work like this, Mr. Kipruto.

You need a form for every single

new child, in triplicate?

No, you can't be serious. I don't

have time to do that, Mr. Kipruto.

Could you not just take my word for it?

Yes, I know, regulations.

Good day to you too, Mr. Kipruto.

What am I to do, Alfred?

Our esteemed superintendent has made

one of his executive decisions.

You've got to see this.

What?

You don't give up easily,

do you, Maruge?

You can't fall for this.

You'll be asking for trouble

with the authorities.

You know he's right, Maruge?

What will I say to

the board of education?

Hm?

What will I say to the parents?

I'll be a good pupil.

I'll work very hard.

If Kipruto finds out...

Kipruto's not the head here, Alfred.

I am.

Let him in.

I'm making an executive decision.

Let Maruge in.

Maruge? Welcome.

Karibu.

Thank you.

Francis, take your seat.

Class, we have a new student today,

and his name is Maruge.

Welcome, Maruge!

Jennifer, raise your hand, please.

I would like you to go

and sit next to Jennifer

at the back there, please, Maruge.

If I sit far, I won't see. I can't.

OK.

Uh... Suzanne, can you sit there?

Sarah, can you sit next to Niva, please?

Maruge, you can sit there.

Sit next to Niva, OK, Sarah?

Back down. Yes? Good.

Let's begin!

Open your exercise books.

Pencils nice and sharp.

Nice and sharp!

My pencil is my friend.

I keep him to the end.

My pencil is my friend.

I keep him to the end.

OK, we are going to begin

with small letters today,

beginning with the letter 'A', OK?

And this is how we write

our small letter 'A'.

OK, a fatty, a thinny.

A fatty, a thinny.

Please continue writing

your lower-case 'A's.

Brendan, Brendan. Sorry, darling.

Maruge, this is how you hold a pencil.

OK, you hold it between your thumb

and your first finger.

Very good. And you press lightly...

not too hard, OK?

Very good.

Good, we are continuing,

repeating after me.

A fatty,

a thinny.

A fatty,

a thinny.

A fatty,

a thinny.

A fatty, a thinny...

Kamau, come here.

What's with the old man in uniform?

Yeah, he's in our school.

Get inside and start working.

Come on.

F-I-T.

A thinny.

F-I-T.

'Fit'.

F-I-T.

A thinny.

Maruge!

Maruge!

Stay out of the school, huh?

School is no place for an old man!

You don't belong there!

Get up. Get up.

Get into line!

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