Write the answers to these questions in your exercise book.

Question 1: The speaker in the poem does not know her two times table because she is too busy with household chores and has no time to learn. Answer: b) she has no time to learn Question 2: The girl has many siblings (at least 4 or more, based on the chores: dressing the children, washing their clothes, helping with bed, taking a child to school, helping with homework). Answer: 5 (one for each chore listed) Question 3: Do you think it is fair that she has so much responsibility? No, it is not fair. She is a child who should be going to school and learning instead of doing adult chores all year. Question 4: Quote the line about responsibility. "Mum says that she's the key to the lock" (she is essential to the family). Question 5: Quote the line that tells us mum's key that she's in the lock the baby. "Mum says she's the key to the lock, the baby." Question 6: Quote three separate lines that suggest the poem is about a poor family. 1. Lines about washing clothes and dressing children. 2. No time for school. 3. Helping with homework and bed. Question 7: Is the writer writing in the voice of an eleven year old? Yes, because the language is simple, childlike, complaining about chores and school troubles. Question 8: Do you think it is fair? No, because children need time for education and play, not just work. Question 9: The girl's problems: two lines from the poem about chores and no time for learning. "No time to learn her two times" and "busy all day with siblings." Question 10: Do you think the teacher is right to call her a "dunce"? No, she is not a dunce (stupid); she just has no time to study due to family duties. Question 11: Short note to the teacher: Dear Teacher, Please don't call my sister a dunce. She doesn't know her times because she washes clothes, dresses the children, and helps at home all day. She has no time to learn. Give her a chance. From a sister. Question 12: Yes, similar problems exist for South African children in poor families who do chores instead of school. Example from South African poem: In Gcina Mhlophe's "The Dancer", or similar poems about child labour like "Sometimes When It Rains" showing family burdens. Question 13: Disgraceful: It is disgraceful to call a hardworking child a dunce. Dunce: The teacher called her a dunce for not knowing her tables. Required: School is required for all children, but chores take her time. Recreation: She has no time for recreation because of her duties.