August 17^th

Happy Birthday Toby – I hope you will forgive us for missing your 21^st Birthday.  We love you!

Today marked the halfway point of our first round of school visits – we have visited 10 schools each with its own set of issues and challenges for the staff, students and school community.  We have met with the Head Teacher of each school and some of the staff.  We have gone through a questionnaire at each school looking at Standard VII exam results for the last two years, and results in English and Mathematics for boys and for girls.  Each school has given reasons for the changes in levels of performance – all too often they can be attributed to poverty!  Most schools have introduced or are about to introduce a morning break food program of maize porridge though sometimes it only goes to children from families who contribute money or maize flour, and it is those who can’t contribute who need it most!

The questionnaire looks at the SMART targets each school has set itself and progress made. Because the targets set were realistic there has usually been good progress.  In each school we have observed an English language lesson.  These have ranged across the standards from Std I to Std VII.  Today we watched a delightful Std I class sing (and dance) for us a song “I know my name, my name is wonderful, …” and at the end of each chorus a child would spell out her or his name in English.  These children then showed they recognised the letters in the alphabet and sang the Alphabet song.  I could picture my 6 year old nephew James in this class.

Also today a Standard VI class did an exercise in grammar reviewing present and past tenses and past participles (eg. do, did, done). In groups of three they had to find the set in a box of cards.  The girls who did to cut (cut, cut. cut) had an easy one, the boys who tried to hold (hold, held, hidden!) had trouble.  It was a good exercise.

Yesterday we watched a debate in a Std VII class that “Girls’ education is more important than boys’.”  The debate was a bit stilted in English but became quite lively when the students were allowed to express their views in KiSwahili.  I put in my 2c worth, that my mother believed educating girls was more important as she, as a widow, had been able to support her family because she was a trained teacher.  We agreed in the end that education for boys and girls was equally important!

The discussion at our meetings is also about what we, Michelle and I, can do to support teachers.  We have heard over and over that the curricula have been changed with no support for refresher courses from the government.  Teachers are crying out for workshops to update their maths skills particularly in geometry and algebra, and for student centred teaching methodology in mathematics.  This is right up my alley!  I have not yet observed a maths class in a primary school but I am getting a feeling for the problems – too few textbooks, limited resources, students with an attitude that maths is “too hard”.  I am really looking forward to getting stuck in!

I have begun already looking at resources that can be constructed from locally available materials.  Washing line and peg number lines is an easy one.  I have made a crude die from a timber off-cut and hope to introduce teachers to the many games that can make basic operations fun.  I watched a teacher explaining how to tell the time with just one clock for 60 students – I have now made several model clocks using cut up cardboard boxes and paper fasteners.  (500Ts 0r 40 Aust cents for a box of 100!)  I am very excited by the possibilities.

Visiting schools has been such fun.  I feel like The Queen.  Children curtsey and say “Good morning Madam”.  I wave from the back seat of the little 4WD as we arrive and leave.  Everyone is so friendly and welcoming – we are not made to feel what an imposition we are making in their busy days.  At one school of 800 children last week there were only four teachers present as the remaining 10 had gone to a workshop organised by World Vision at a neighbouring school.  While we were there all the teachers met with us in the Head Teacher’s office and the children sat quietly in their classrooms.  Then we were treated to an excellent Std V lesson about the use of ‘for’ and ‘since’ – I have been in Bukoba for four weeks.  I have been a teacher since 1981.  I am constantly stunned by what these teachers can do with so little!  It is inspiring.

More about school visits and other matters soon – keep those comments coming!  Jenny