Thursday of last week the Director, Pedagogical Coach (Chargé de Pédagogie), and I were able to visit seven villages and seven schools that are part of the Village School Program. It took all day – we left at 7:00 a.m. and got back to Baboua at 6:00 p.m. The furthest school we saw was 80 km. (50 miles) away, including 30 km. (about 20 miles) of road that got increasingly worse as we left the paved main road. All of the other schools we visited were along the newly paved road. Imagine how long this trip would have taken last year before the road was paved! We hope to go to see some other schools this week, but the trip will involve taking more unpaved roads. Getting to all 20 schools takes time!
In this blog entry, I want to focus on two villages (I’ll
call them 1 and 2) because they remind me of issues that I saw in Pittsburgh –
different, but the same.
First, a little background.
Each village had to form a committee of parents as they decided that
they wanted to become a part of this program.
It is called the Association of Parents of Students – like our PTO or
PTA although here they have more direct responsibilities for the school. Parents must each pay a share of the cost of
educating the students and then our program pays part, too. This money goes to pay the teachers (one of
whom is the director, or principal, of the school. Parents must also find a place and build
“hangars” where classes can be held. These hangars are rectangular structures
that have small logs that hold up a straw roof.
Most schools have at least two to house classes. Sometimes there are two classes in each
hangar and occasionally teachers work with one class in the morning and a
different level in the same structure in the afternoon. This depends on space and availability of
teachers. Then, sometimes parents build
desks and sometimes our program helps with money to have some made. These are tables to seat 4-5 students each
with an accompanying bench. Parents are
then responsible for the maintenance of the hangars. In time, they are also asked to collect sand,
stones, and to make bricks (more on that later). These materials will be used to build a more
permanent school building –with financial support of our program. The Village School Program also provides
black boards (made from board that are framed and painted black), texts (not
always enough for all students right now, unfortunately, because many classes
are very large), and some other basics.
Students buy their own notebooks, pens (they don’t seem to use pencils),
individual slates, chalk, and other materials.
As we arrived at School A, we saw two hangars. They have a principal, who also teaches, and
one other teacher. In one structure a
kindergarten class sat on one side and the 1st grade on the
other. In the other, there was one
class. Both teachers teach other levels
in the afternoon. We saw evidence that
there is little parental support for this school. The straw roofs had holes – and not little
ones! (See picture.) Fortunately, this is the dry season, so it
doesn’t rain in now, but the sun does shine in – distracting those sitting in
its intensity, I am sure. The parents
are not giving their share toward the teachers’ salaries and no work has been
done to begin to collect sand, stones, and bricks although the parents have
asked the Village School Program to build them a permanent building. Those who work for our program have met with
the parents several times to talk about what needs to be done, but to no
avail. They have also involved the
traditional chief. Still, nothing has
happened.
Does this sound familiar, especially to those of you who
have worked with schools?? It reminds me
of schools in some neighborhoods of Pittsburgh where there is little
support. Granted, the kind of support we
ask for is different – we want parents to help or at least monitor that
homework is done, come for parent conferences, maybe help with
fund-raisers… But the end result is the
same. When parents are not willing, or
able, to support the school, it doesn’t function as well.
Consider, next, School B.
As we drove up, students saw the new blackboards the director of the
Village School Program had made. (Making
boards is not usually the job of the program director in the States, is
it?!?) They stated to call out,
“Tableau!” (Blackboard!) They were
obviously very excited. We were also met
by the President of the Parents’ Association and about 5 other members of the
committee. This school also had two
hangars, but they were in very good condition.
And, parents have already collected a lot of sand. The day we arrived, some of the older
students had had oral exams. With the
remaining time in the school day, all students were helping to make mud
bricks. This school still has problems;
what school doesn’t? But, the support of the parents has made an incredible
difference. I bet we can all think of
schools in the States that work more smoothly or have definite advantages
because the PTO/PTA and parental support are strong. It works the same way here. So, things are really different at the
schools I saw, but, then, there are similarities, too.
Finally, I want to talk a little about making bricks. It is not something we do ourselves in the
US. Of course, bricks or cinder blocks
are much more readily available and easier to buy. Here, house and many other buildings are made
from mud bricks. (Some buildings are
built from cinder blocks that are bought.
These are more durable and long-lasting.) People dig up dirt – that has a lot of clay
in it, I think – and add water. I know
that in the Old Testament, straw was added, but I don’t know if they add
anything else. The mixture is then put
into frames to shape the brick. This is
then left to dry in the sun. The dry
season is a good time to make bricks since there is lots of sun to dry
them. Also, the rain doesn't come and
destroy those that are already made. On
the other hand, water is harder to come by.
Making bricks takes a lot of time!
We saw schools where parents were making bricks to be used for teacher
housing and for more permanent classroom buildings. The pictures included here are: the frame for making bricks, some bricks
drying in the sun, and a pile of bricks that was unprotected and ruined by the
rain a couple of months ago. Parents at
that school weren’t discouraged; they just started making more bricks! They want a permanent building for their
school!
The culture in CAR works against us in that education is not
a priority. Many (even most, in some
areas) adults are not literate. If they
have been to school, it may have only been for a couple of years. Some recognize the importance of educating
their children, but don’t know how to help and support the children or the
schools. In the US, we have some
functionally illiterate parents, but many fewer than here. Schools in the US also face many parents who
didn’t do well in school, don’t value education, or don’t know the best ways to
support their children in their education.
So there, as here, we have much work to do. In the Village School Program in the future,
we will continue to work with all the Parents’ Associations to help them better
understand their role and to encourage them to do their part in making these
schools work well. We will be looking
for new ideas and ways to do this so that they can understand and
participate. Educators, doesn’t this
sound familiar???
Very interesting, Susan! Thanks for sharing! Happy Holidays!!! :)
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