As it turned out, our final day coincided with the final day of the academic year for the children so we were able to take part in their final assembly And what an interesting cultural insight it was.
For a start were all the speeches - from teachers, head teacher, chair of the school board, chair of the PTA, chief village elder, local health authority rep and local community development officer amongst others.
It seemed a bit excessive until you hear what they were talking about and then you realise how integral the school is as a channel of communication to the local community.
As several parents were also there, all speeches were heard by them also which meant that when the health guy spoke about the immunisation clinic for under-5's the message was going further than just the students
And when the community development guy spoke about a funding proposal that has been accepted by World Vision to pay for bikes so that teachers can set up 'reading camps' in the villages to ensure that children still get access to learning even when the rains mean they can't get to school, there were lots of excited whispers from the children, presumably those who have to walk miles each day to get to school.
It was the same guy who went on to warn the older girls about the men from South Africa who write letters to teenage girls in Malawian villages 'wooing' them and enticing them to leave rural life and run away. To run to a life of alleged excitement, glamour and marriage. But of course it doesn't end like that, and the community spokesman yesterday was telling the girls how it does end - in trafficking and servitude - and was telling them not in the confines of the classroom but in front of parents who might have been taken in by the letters of marriage and have persuaded their daughters to go.
These final assemblies are so much more than just a rounding up of the academic year. They are a chance to get some key community messages out to a population who are in part illiterate, don't have access to TV and radio, and don't read the info leaflets available. Obviously the church is another avenue for getting the messages out, but it's good to see that all opportunities are being used to reach everyone
After the public messages bit of the assembly, the focus switched to the students and letting them know the outcome of their end of year results and therefore who would be going up to the next class in September and who would have to repeat the year
The protocol seemed to be that they did a year group at a time, reading out number on roll, number who took exams (which was always less than number on roll - evidence that not all students could afford the exam?) and number who passed. They then went on to read out the names of those who passed the exams and those children stood up, with expressions ranging from relief to pride to embarrassment to delight.
So far so good, but then you look at the expressions of those who didn't pass and you see despair, upset, and you wonder at the other emotions going on inside. How many times have they failed that exam and had to resit that year? What will it be like being one year older in the class whilst other younger ones come through? What will the parents say when they hear that the amount of years before the child finishes school is now at least one year more as a class has to be repeated? Will the parents let them stay on to finish school or will they decide that it is pointless and instead make the decision that the child has to go out and work?
So many thoughts flying round in their young minds along with the shame of being one who doesn't get the honour of standing up as a successful student. It was hard to watch and something our team members noticed and mused over later in their own ways
I felt also for the class teachers. Having only 48% of your class pass an exam can't feel good and yet when that class is 140 students in size is it any surprise? How can 1 teacher get round all those students to give them all the input they need? There's no teaching assistants to help with remedial groups, no interactive whiteboards or resources to liven up the teaching, not even electricity to enable students to do homework. It's an uphill battle to say the least
So it has been great to come this week and support those teachers and pupils. To bring resources that the teachers can use when we've gone; to give some new ideas on teaching methods (everyone seemed to love the grid method of multiplication, and the use of number lines for introducing negative numbers!); to give opportunity for the less academic children to also succeed and shine, through arts and sports; and to give the teachers the chance to observe their children in education but whilst not having to be the teacher. For these reasons alone it's been great to come
Add in the many and varied benefits that the team members have gained through all this, and the new perspectives and insights they have gained about all sorts of aspects of life.
Lots of positives to the trip to say the least
That final assembly was thought provoking for us all in many ways, whether students on the team, teachers on the team or just as observing bystanders. Education is a right for all, but it's fascinating, and challenging, to see how that varied that universal right can be.
No comments:
Post a Comment