On this page.....
UK Training programme for teachers from Sirigu 2014
Improving the school environment
Mobile library
Let's Read Later
Developing teacher assessment strategies
Developing language through mathematics
Planning for the future - 2020 onwards
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UK Training programme for teachers from Sirigu 2014
Improving the school environment
Mobile library
Let's Read Later
Developing teacher assessment strategies
Developing language through mathematics
Planning for the future - 2020 onwards
*
UK Training Programme for teachers from Sirigu 2014
In June 2014, four educationalists from the Sirigu district visited the UK. The aim was to show them (three teachers and one circuit supervisor) how primary schools are organised in the UK, in particular the development of literacy. We also wanted them to also look at classroom management strategies.
James, Norbert, Lucy and John spent two weeks in the UK, staying with us in London, Coventry and Durham. They visited 3 schools each in pairs, observed lessons and talked to teachers. The schools were very generous with their time, advice and resources. The four visitors were able to see beyond the high quality of buildings, resources and number of trained teachers in the classrooms and to select methods of teaching that they felt they could use in their schools in Sirigu.
Each evening we got together to discuss what we had seen during the day and collated the ideas they felt they could use at home. Each participant prepared a short presentation which they delivered to the whole group and several visitors on the final day.
James, Norbert, Lucy and John spent two weeks in the UK, staying with us in London, Coventry and Durham. They visited 3 schools each in pairs, observed lessons and talked to teachers. The schools were very generous with their time, advice and resources. The four visitors were able to see beyond the high quality of buildings, resources and number of trained teachers in the classrooms and to select methods of teaching that they felt they could use in their schools in Sirigu.
Each evening we got together to discuss what we had seen during the day and collated the ideas they felt they could use at home. Each participant prepared a short presentation which they delivered to the whole group and several visitors on the final day.
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Bringing this group of teachers over to the UK has clearly had a far greater impact than we had envisaged. Each teacher took back from the UK certain strategies and have been busy implementing their ideas in their schools. They have also shared their experiences with their Sirigu colleagues and this has noticeably increased the rate of change in all the Sirigu schools.
In all the schools we are now seeing:
- improved classroom management skills
- improved time on task
- positive encouragement being used
- children developing reading skills and less and less recitation of text
- teachers committed to maintaining Let's Read strategies and methods in their classrooms
- schools working together to support each other
- workshops being arranged by the schools for themselves
- a growing understanding of what learning to read really means
November 2014
In all the schools we are now seeing:
- improved classroom management skills
- improved time on task
- positive encouragement being used
- children developing reading skills and less and less recitation of text
- teachers committed to maintaining Let's Read strategies and methods in their classrooms
- schools working together to support each other
- workshops being arranged by the schools for themselves
- a growing understanding of what learning to read really means
November 2014
Improving the school environment
It is not unusual to see children sitting on a dusty and pot holed floor in a badly painted classroom. It is impossible for children to learn when they have to lie on the floor and even harder for them to write, so when we can we fund some desks for one or more classrooms. This is has a positive impact on teachers and children. At one school, parents in the community came together to see who these people were who had provided the desks and they pledged their support for their children's education.
One parent told how he had thought farming was the best way to make a living so he had not finished his education. But he became ill and could no longer farm and now regretted dropping out of school.
Another parent pointed out that we were all successful women and this showed how important it was to send their daughters to school every day. All the parents said they understood the importance of education as a way out of poverty, but we know that when the planting season or the harvest come along, it has to be all hands to help - if the family wants to eat that winter.
Since this first initiative we have given desks to several schools and also provided blackboards, cement for floors and paint for walls, prizes for literacy competitions and collections of books.
Updated November 2018
One parent told how he had thought farming was the best way to make a living so he had not finished his education. But he became ill and could no longer farm and now regretted dropping out of school.
Another parent pointed out that we were all successful women and this showed how important it was to send their daughters to school every day. All the parents said they understood the importance of education as a way out of poverty, but we know that when the planting season or the harvest come along, it has to be all hands to help - if the family wants to eat that winter.
Since this first initiative we have given desks to several schools and also provided blackboards, cement for floors and paint for walls, prizes for literacy competitions and collections of books.
Updated November 2018
Mobile Book Library
There are few books for children to read in the schools in Sirigu, so we have collected together a variety of books for different ability levels and our circuit supervisor takes them round the schools, changing them every few weeks. We plan to expand the book boxes so that more reading material is available for the children.
Let's Read Later
We know that when parents are interested in their children's education children tend to be more successful at school. Many of the parents in Let's Read schools missed out on education themselves. This lack of education causes many problems particularly for women taking on micro-finance loans to set up small businesses.
Two enterprising head teachers have set up an after school literacy class for parents at her school with support from Let's Read. They run this together on a weekly basis, using Let's Read books and resources and fitting in with the demands of the farming seasons. There are currently 17 parents signed up for this term.
We hope eventually that our laptops will also be used by the parents. We plan to carry out an evaluation of Let's Read Later at the end of the year.
*Unfortunately this programme was discontinued at the end of the year due to time pressures for the head teachers and the demands of farming for the parents. However, it was a useful pilot and we believe would be successful in the right situation, so we may try again at a later date.
Two enterprising head teachers have set up an after school literacy class for parents at her school with support from Let's Read. They run this together on a weekly basis, using Let's Read books and resources and fitting in with the demands of the farming seasons. There are currently 17 parents signed up for this term.
We hope eventually that our laptops will also be used by the parents. We plan to carry out an evaluation of Let's Read Later at the end of the year.
*Unfortunately this programme was discontinued at the end of the year due to time pressures for the head teachers and the demands of farming for the parents. However, it was a useful pilot and we believe would be successful in the right situation, so we may try again at a later date.
Developing teacher assessment strategies
Teachers in Ghana are not used to planning and assessing their teaching. This often means that they teach the same topic or the same level over and over again. For example, during our latest visit we watched a teacher with a P3 class which had reached high levels of phonic confidence in P2 teaching the sound of the letter 'a'.
We have now put together a simple assessment folder containing sample tests which teachers can use to find out if their children have learnt what has been taught and for head teachers to check that teachers are moving children on to the next steps. Lack of pace in lessons and low expectations of children lead to slow learning and bored children.
We asked for volunteer schools from our first group of teachers. Following requests from head teachers we extended this resource to all head teachers in 2017. All circuit supervisors also now have access to the assessment folders.
We have now put together a simple assessment folder containing sample tests which teachers can use to find out if their children have learnt what has been taught and for head teachers to check that teachers are moving children on to the next steps. Lack of pace in lessons and low expectations of children lead to slow learning and bored children.
We asked for volunteer schools from our first group of teachers. Following requests from head teachers we extended this resource to all head teachers in 2017. All circuit supervisors also now have access to the assessment folders.
Developing language through numbers
We have produced a pack of basic mathematical resources for all the schools (from KG to P6) showing teachers how to extend children's everyday language through mathematical concepts - bigger, taller, more, less and so on. Each pack includes a range of ideas for teachers to use.
Planning for the future - 2020 onwards
On the principle of teaching a man to fish and feeding him for life, rather than giving him a fish which feeds him for one day, we have always planned to hand over our programme to Ghanaians to run for themselves while continuing to support with advice and funding from the UK. We now have a good team of local people committed to the project and the support of the Ghana Education Service in the Kassena-Nankana district where our schools are situation.
We are now producing simple training manuals together with teacher notes so that training can be delivered locally and this is what we are currently working on.
We are now producing simple training manuals together with teacher notes so that training can be delivered locally and this is what we are currently working on.