Extracts from John Hall’s report January 2012

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  • A REPORT BASED ON A TRIP TO THE BETHANY PROJECT CAMPUS   12TH – 26TH January, 2012
  • CLASSROOM OBSERVATION
  • Due to the current political impasse, I was only able to observe four classes working – reception and standards 1,2, and 3.  Teachers, both qualified and unqualified, showed great empathy with the children, although levels of engagement varied.  It was difficult to compare with UK counterparts, but, from what I have seen, teacher-pupil relationships are closer in Bethany – but this is a protective environment.  The children appear to have a genuine thirst for knowledge.
  • In the UK, the style of education that was led by the teacher at the blackboard, and with pupils copying or answering set questions in a text book, is said to be outdated.  From what I can gather, however, this is the Tanzanian way.  It may well be antiquated in our eyes, but may refer to the ‘good old days’ when children knew their multiplication tables, and knew how to read, write and spell before leaving primary school!  The children are respectful and attentive and seem well motivated.  We need to remember, also, that they are learning in English – a foreign language!
  • The scarcity of materials and equipment is a real problem.  The children share well-worn text books, pencils, rubbers and rulers and, apart from pitifully few exceptions, the walls are bare.
  • I only saw one display board, and that was in the head teachers office.  The only science equipment is in two containers the size of shoe boxes, and is largely inappropriate.
  • The strongest elements are the teachers empathy with pupils and the children’s desire for learning.  They have a delightful curiosity.  In my opinion these strengths could be maximised by the improvement in the levels of equipment, and regular  in-service teacher training (Finance inevitably is a factor here).  In the library near the dining room there are books, writing materials and art supplies.  They are well used and available to children at all times.  I am suggesting, however, that each classroom should have it’s own supply of these materials so that teachers and pupils had ready access to them.
  • I feel that it would be inappropriate to impose the current UK model here in Bethany.  The two ways of working are so distinctly different as to make fusion remote.  It may well be worth considering a topic-based style of teaching which could provide a recognisable linkage between subjects.  In the staff room the head teacher, Mr Pimbile, has displayed a relevant piece of philosophy:  “Children learn well when they see, smell, taste and touch things.  This is called concrete learning:-  We often ask them to understand abstract concepts without helping these concepts make sense in their world”.  As I remember, topic-based education was introduced in the UK to enhance the connection between abstract and concrete learning.
  • Whatever is suggested, it should be remembered that it needs to be synonymous with the Tanzanian model.  When pupils move from Bethany to the  Government Secondary School it is important that continuity is as smooth as possible.  It could have been helpful if I had had the opportunity to observe some lessons at the secondary school, but this was not possible.  Some of the older girls invited me to visit the school on a Sunday when it was empty.  Here I was struck by the bareness of the classrooms, the only visual aids being blackboards and chalk.  On the windows of at least two classrooms the insect netting was missing and I noticed a strong smell.  The girls informed me that it came from the colonies of bats with which they shared their classrooms!
  • I must stress that observations are based on a brief visit only, and that access to many sources of information was limited.  For a more rounded commentary, it would have been necessary to watch the senior teachers at work, and to hear more of their opinions.  I should have liked to have had discussion with Mr. Pimbili, the head teacher, and, less likely but none the less helpful, would have been a visit to the government primary and secondary schools in action.
  • If I have overlooked any important matters, therefore, I apologise,  In responding to the request of the Bethany Trust, I may only have scratched the surface due to factors beyond our control.
  • REPORT ON A STAFF MEETING HELD AT THE BETHANY CAMPUS  - WEDNESDAY 18TH JANUARY 2012
  • Present: Minza Onesmo, Rehema Joseph, Damary Joseph    Mrs Victoria R. Marenga,  Mr. Juma,  M. Itale    Milka Yohana,  Fatume M’Faume,  Miss Tabu J. Titus,  John Hall
  • The meeting started at 2.30. Some of the teachers who hadn’t met me before were naturally a little sceptical at first.  In an effort to put them at ease, I began by describing my professional background, and outlined the reasons for my visit.  I stressed that I was not at Bethany as an inspector or as a critic, but that I hoped for a sharing of ideas with the staff in order to help promote the development of education on the premises.
  • The staff didn’t readily engage in dialogue at first, but when I commented on the scarcity of equipment and materials in the classrooms they all spoke or nodded their agreement.  They were curious to hear further observations, and so I asked about the linkage between teaching styles at Bethany and those in government schools.  The staff assured me that the traditional model was common to all areas.  In all schools teachers used the blackboard, text books and pupils work books in ways which were in use many years ago in the UK.  I stressed that I would not advocate the imposition of our own National Curriculum model onto the Tanzanian methods.  Indeed, many mourn the passing of teaching techniques in the UK which were effective in ensuring that pupils leaving primary school could read, spell, write and were proficient in mental arithmetic, based on a sound knowledge of multiplication tables!  From what I have seen in Bethany, the standards of literacy amongst 10 and 11 year olds is very high: (and we need to remember that English is not their native language!)
  • The staff were pleased that I was complimenting their results, and went on to ask if I had any suggestions which might help – apart from improving the availability of materials and equipment.  This gave me the opportunity to praise the empathy between teachers and pupils, and to comment on the children’s thirst for knowledge which was readily observable.
  • I went on to offer suggestions on ways in which abstract learning could be linked into a concrete model, asking staff if they were conversant with topic-based teaching.  There was a shaking of heads, so we went into a classroom where we built an ad hoc topic web around the subject of water – a material crucial to the lives of all Tanzanians. The staff were enthusiastic and could see the value of linking subjects to a central theme.   I suggested that they might like to try out the model, with the head teachers approval, of course,  In the light of his philosophical thoughts on concrete learning, to be found on the notice board in the staff room, I have brought nothing radically new to the table.
  • We ended the session by playing some mental arithmetic games.  I had noted that the Bethany children calculated by using either a tally system or their fingers.  Whenever I asked any of the children to calculate mentally, they struggled.  Using no more than a few pieces of white card and a marker pen, we were able to make some simple equipment that would catch the interest of children and improve mental computational skills.  In my own experience I have found that the use of such games for short periods in each maths lesson brings about a rapid increase in the speed of mental computation.
  • The session ended at 4.14 with staff keen to take away the topic and the maths card games.