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Educational PerspectivesMaureen Maus – Kitchener, ON Our perspectives influence the way we live our lives. As a teacher about to return to the classroom after summer break, I am amazed at the schools I saw in Tanzania. To say they are ill-equipped is an understatement -- laughable even -- if it were not so tragic. Our distribution sites were all at elementary schools located in small villages on the outskirts of Dar es Salam, giving us plenty of opportunity to see how the education system works at the grassroots level. 
Let me describe a typical classroom for you. None had doors, and all the windows were either open or covered with metal grills, making it fairly impossible for a teacher to filter out any outside distraction or noise from other classrooms. Less than half the schools we visited had desks, resulting in children having to sit on hard concrete floors. Most had a single blackboard, and not once did I see a textbook. Many times I wondered how on earth these teachers were able to deliver a lesson. There were no staff rooms, no indoor washrooms, and not a computer in sight -- not surprising considering there wasn't any electricity. In one classroom I noticed a handwritten weekly class schedule taped to the wall, evidence of a teacher who aspired to an organizational structure. I was moved by the utter simplicity of it. Interestingly enough, there were three periods of English slated in, but few children could speak English beyond a polite greeting of "Good morning." 
One thing I found particularly interesting was how the quality of the school was determined by the strength of the teachers and the administration. At schools where we were greeted by staff when we arrived, I noticed more structure. These were the schools that began each day with opening exercises, a real treat for us to witness. Tanzanians love to sing, and we were blessed with several renditions of the national anthem as well as patriotic songs. One school even wrote and performed a special song for us, thanking Sleeping Children and all the donors for remembering and helping them, when so many choose to forget them. As they sang, Mama Wendoa translated the Swahili, and there wasn't one of us who did not have tears in her eyes. We were told that education is a priority for the Tanzanian government, and while that was not evident in the schools we visited, I have to remind myself that my perspective of education is one of incredible affluence, comparatively speaking. So I will keep the teachers and the students in my prayers, hoping that continued government support will allow the immense spirit of the Tanzanian children to grow and flourish. |
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