What a week . . . . .

Over the last week I have had the opportunity to ‘visit’ a few schools and have a few observations to share.

Last Friday I was invited to ride out with another volunteer from a neighbouring district to some of the KG’s in her circuits. We were out to monitor how many children were in each class, how many teachers, what resources are available for them to use etc. We pulled up at the first school and there were no teachers to be seen, just lots of children milling around, playing ‘playground games’, kicking around a make-shift football made of old socks and empty water sachets. When we asked the children where their teachers were they had gone to the bank to collect their salary ! !

The next school we went to was very welcoming, a small KG with one teacher and one classroom for 168 children. We arrived to a welcoming committee of children that I’m sure have never seen a white person before, let alone two in one go. We were greeted by a male teacher who was wearing a very interesting flowery, chiffon blouse which would have obviously been worn by an older lady in the UK. Clothes here do tend to have a unisex theme about them, it is common to see boys in pink Barbie t-shirts or with a pink ‘Dora’ backpack. Most of the clothes sold on the markets here are what we would put in our doorstep collections bags back home and because of the lack of access to the media and I guess ‘western norms’, clothes are just clothes and don’t have a gender stereotype attached.

We then moved onto some more schools and I finally got to see some schools where the KG classroom is actually children sat under the tree. When we arrived we were shown to where the KG children were working. The KG1 children were working with the teacher is a small hut about 3m x 2m, 106 children, no lights, no resources, just the sandy floor as their work surface. The KG2 class were sat under a tree, 4 to a desk made for 2, a piece of chalk each and were using the surface of the desk to practice writing their numbers and letters. No paper, workbooks or slates to write on and easily wiped clean at the end of the session. The teacher has no access to a blackboard so demonstrates skills by drawing in the sand for the children to practice. Schools are given 4.50 cedi’s (£1.80)  per child, per year to buy resources and maintain the school building, so it is understandable why schools are so under resourced. When I think of the resources a Nursery or Reception classroom has at their disposal and the books we throw away it seems criminal to see these children having to accept what they have.

As we went around we were asking the teachers what they felt that they needed help with, we were thinking along the lines of making TLM’s (phonics card’s, number card’s, word card’s, posters etc), writing lesson notes, behaviour management etc. Most of the teachers were concerned about whether the children had uniform. Priorities here are very different to what we would prioritise at home. I’m sure that children are able to learn just as well without uniform ! !

On Monday this week I went to watch the England v France game at a spot in Jirapa. Two white women watching the football with a few beers caused quite a stir. We sat watching the game, being constantly interrupted by passersby wanting to know which team we were supporting and what was the score. After a disappointing result, we asked if we could pay for our drinks, only to be told that our drinks had already been paid for, a few guys at the next table had taken pity on us or actually fancied their chances ! ! On the way out one guy was shouting ‘Nansapor, Nansapor’(white woman) so Ellie turned round and said “Which one ? Me or Her ?” He wanted my attention and continued to tell me that He loved me more than a harmattan pawpaw, which I can only presume is a compliment. He asked if I was married, to which I always reply that I am. (Easier than having to give out your number and stops the 3am phone calls ! !) He turned his attention to Ellie and proceeded to tell her that he loved her more than a harmattan pawpaw.

Yesterday I was working my usual Thursday morning in the local KG here in the village. As I may have mentioned in a previous blog, most school children carry a razor blade with them in school. I hadn’t realised that this also happened in KG’s. The children were given a written task to perform, so out came the books and pencils, some get out the sharpener to sharpen their pencils and some get out the razor blade, my heart sank, seeing a 3/4yr old using a razor blade had me on pins, we wouldn’t let a child of that age near a razor let alone let them use it to sharpen a pencil. The lesson continued and blades were put away, until I realised that two children were sat huddled together, so I went over to see what they were doing and found one of them cutting the other child’s fingernails with said blade. Horrified is not the word to describe my thoughts, but this apparently is the norm and the way all Ghanaians cut their nails.

Today can actually be described as ‘normal’. I’ve been into a school to teach P5 how to use a computer. Most have never touched a computer before and this was very evident by how stiff their fingers were. Children struggle to bend their fingers, I had them practicing doing a spider up and down each other’s backs. (Crazy white woman is at it again) We were only learning the home row keys and most struggled to put a finger on each key, the more we tried the stiffer their fingers became. I now realise why we harp on so much about fine and gross motor skills so much in schools at home. Dexterity is just not something you meet in schools here. So more spiders next week ! !