So I have Super Great News! I found out a week or so ago
that my school had the best national test results of all public schools in our
region!!! Yaho (my village) is in the
Boucle de Mohoun, a large region northwest of the capital, and I think there
are about 150 schools in the region. The
test consists of Math, French, English, History/Geography, Physics/Chemistry
and Biology and is given to students the last year of ‘college’ which is kind
of like middle school, but more like the first half of high school. The students have to pass if they want to
continue on to high school. Last year I
taught Physics and Chemistry for the grade that took the test, and over 70% of
my students passed. By American
standards 70% is less than great, but here the national average is less than
50%. Last year was an especially rough
year, as many schools were striking for over two months (my school missed two
weeks when the government shut down all schools, then another week when my
students striked). But in spite of the strikes
last year, we rocked that test!
I have to admit; at this point in time I’m pretty used to
the standards of teaching and learning here, but they are drastically different
than the majority of the US. For
example: students here have detailed lessons of chemical reactions that they’ve
never seen involving chemicals they’ve never heard of; and they have to be able
to not only describe what happens during the reaction, but also describe how to
test each substance to prove that it is what we say it is. Very in depth things, that are only explained
theoretically with little to no hands on or visual application. Students have 3 years of biology (starting
with cells and invertebrates, ending with human anatomy) without ever once
using a microscope or actually seeing a cell!
They study geography without once seeing a globe, study the piston-type
motor in a car while many of them have never actually ridden in a car, and
learn how to calibrate a voltmeter without ever actually seeing one – or occasionally
without ever seeing an electrical circuit in use. Many times they learn French (and English)
without access to books, only by what the teachers have written on the board. And all of this with at least 70 kids in the classroom,
though more likely closer to 100.
But despite all of these monumental challenges, there are
students who are succeeding, and it makes my heart happy. These students work their butts off and fully
comprehend the value of their education – something I can guarantee that many American
students have forgotten. So while I may
get frustrated as my students struggle with a concept I’m explaining for the
fifth time, I just need to remind myself how far the really have come – with little
to no support to get them here.
The group of schools recognized for the results last year
only included 6 schools and 4 of them were private. Private schools cost about
10 times as much as public in Burkina and many times have a foreign sponsor on
top of money made from tuition. The fact
that my school in a rural village is able to compete with these schools is
pretty dang impressive :)
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| Also, we got this really sweet certificate. |
