I observe teachers and provide feedback as part of our program. One day we were observing on the edge of town. Finding the school was a challenge because of no signs and it’s location in the back streets down some dirt roads, but the street sellers and children directed me in the right way.
Walking in the gates was a surprise. The teachers were excellent on the training course, and I was expecting a ‘posh’ school with a few 4x4s dropping kids off and a stream of pousse pousses (cycle rickshaws).
On arrival we found all the children walk to school and the well kept classrooms consist of simple benches and desks for 60-80 students and a large blackboard. There was a library, a school laptop and printer.
As usual the teachers put on a ‘show’ for the visitors, however it was clear that the children were getting a good education by local standards and many of the ideas from our recent course were being put into practise.
Chatting to the head he told me the fees are 5000 Ariary (£1.25) month. And he proudly told us the school is 100% self sufficient and pay their teachers a fair salary. I was astonished. With around 12 classes in the school that means their entire income is around £750/month. This income pays the 14 staff, looks after their buildings and is paying for the construction of a new classroom. There are no cleaners (children clean the school as part of their duties), and occasionally there are breaks in the school year for children to deep clean the classrooms…
In Tamatave most private schools charge much more yet seem no better. The director commented ‘if your heart is not for money than you can do a lot with very little’. Sorry no photos as local law means it is unwise to publish photos of children in schools.
Science teaching here is very theoretical. Part of my project is developing practical science resources in schools with zero resources and money. Some examples of practicals we have shown teachers:
- Making electric circuits using household and motorbike components. (cost £1-2 for components, reusable)
Electric circuit building using local components
- We demonstrated a red cabbage indicator (that changes from pink in an acid to green in an alkali) – teachers were unbelievably excited. (cost 25p for part of a red cabbage)
- Using Archimedes principle to measure the mass of a floating object. (cost: zero, using medicine measuring cup and any floatable object)
- Making a measuring cylinder out of a plastic water bottle (cost:5p)
A simple balance using marbles weighed at a jewellry shop as weights
Electrolysis of sodium chloride using electrodes from batteries and red cabbage as an indicator
- Rolling a marble down a ramp and then horizontally off a table. Use carbon paper to mark the impact position. Many calculations can be made to do with the projectile motion, resulting in the calculation of the time of flight, initial horizontal velocity, kinetic energy, change in potential energy, work done by friction and average frictional force. Cost: 10p
- Observing the rate of reaction of sulphuric acid (car battery acid) with different metals. Zinc is extracted from batteries, aluminium from a drinks can and an iron nail is used. Cost: 50p
- Collapsing can demo. (use a discarded beer/soda can – free, cost: 3p for charcoal)
- Heroes engine using a coke can. (2000Ar, £0.50 for the can, reusable, 3p for charcoal)
So…do we really need complicated expensive things in life??
(In case you are wondering, this week we have graduations, and after a brief holiday the main ‘modern teaching methods’ courses will start again, this time delivered by local trainers. More on that in another post. Pray all the good plans for the future come to fruition…)
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