Mkushi College of Education Year Report

Transcription

1 Development Aid from People to People Mkushi College of Education Year Report January to December 2014 To U-landshjelp fra Folk til Folk, Norge

2 Name of Project: DAPP Mkushi College of Education Implementing Organization: Development Aid from People to People in Zambia Report period: January to December, INTRODUCTION The DAPP Mkushi College of Education is training multi-skilled teachers with the will and heart to live and work in rural schools, where educational needs are very high. The college provides a 3-year diploma course and is affiliated to the University of Zambia and works in cooperation with the Ministry of Education. The training programme is innovative and prepares teachers practically and theoretically to provide quality education and as well as helping them to become agents of change in the rural communities where they will be deployed in the future. The first intake of students, who were under a 2-year Zambia Teacher Education Course (ZATEC) Primary teacher course, sat for exams in December 2013 and officially graduated in October, The second intake of 40 students (under 3 year Diploma course) started in January PROJECT ACTIVITIES 2.1 Graduation of the first intake: On 9 th October 2014 the college held its first graduation ceremony for the first intake. Out of 31 students that wrote the final ZATEC examinations in 2013, twenty seven (27) graduated which translated to a pass rate of 87%. The 4 students that failed some subjects have since written their examinations together with 6 students who failed the first promotion exam. Out of 27 graduates, 5 have been employed by DAPP Zambia, 4 working as teachers at Children s Town while 1 has been employed at DAPP Mkushi College of Education as a librarian in training and core group teacher. Four of the graduates have already received a placement through the Ministry of Education to work in rural schools starting in 2015 and these will be on Government payroll. 2.2 Training of the second intake The first year of the 3-years Primary Diploma course is called The Year of Teacher Politics. The headlines for the 3 terms of the year was as follows: Crossing the Rubicon : The students were introduced to all the study areas in their curriculum and the DAPP College programme. This was the period where the students made the bold decision to take up the teaching profession as their carrier. They got familiar with all the routines, structures and systems at the College. Bussing Period : Students planned their travel together with their core group teachers and agreed on the countries to visit by drawing the route map. They prepared all the materials to carry and divided their responsibilities before the journey started. During the journey, the 2

3 students got insights and overview of the global situation as they travelled in Zambia and southern Africa to investigate and learn more on the current situation of how people live in different locations and from different walks of life. Hitting the heart : The students, when they got back from the bussing, prepared different presentations to the college staff and to stakeholders in the District explaining lessons which they learnt. Academic training (in all terms): The academic training programme included studies within all the Study Areas as follows. Education and Professional Studies: Teaching strategies; child development, pedagogy & psychology; theories of learning; action research; community education; special education needs. Literacy and Language Education: Methods of teaching language to children; teaching literacy; language and special education needs; linguistics. Mathematics Education: Methods of teaching mathematics; the four basic arithmetic operations; sets, decimals, integers; basic factors of algebra; applied mathematics. Science Education: Teaching science; theories of learning; natural sciences; food production. Social, Spiritual and Moral Education: Methods of teaching social, spiritual and moral education; the material world; the spiritual world; the origin of life; development needs and possible solutions. Expressive Arts Education: Methods of teaching expressive arts - including sports - to children; Zambian indigenous art; topics, techniques and concepts of expressive arts. Technology Studies: Teaching technology studies; tools, equipment and material; designing, constructing and producing. School Experience: Sitting in with the primary school teacher; trying out methods of teaching and ways to engage the children; progressing in planning and teaching skills. The main methods of learning was DMM in which each student work on defined tasks using study materials found in the computer and during the international journey in kindles. Practical training (Term 1 and 3): The students were grouped in functional groups, taking responsibility for various responsibility areas at the college such as the garden, food, maintenance etc. The groups meet each Saturday evening to review activities and progress in their area and to plan for the coming week. Activities included budgeting and organizing the other students and staff within their area of responsibility. The students also learned through practical work organized by the function groups including participating in 4 building weekends/ common actions organized during the year, taking part in working in the school garden, planting and harvesting field crops, cleaning, cooking etc. 2.3 Working with the community outreach activities Adult Literacy lessons: Students had adult literacy community lessons on Wednesdays afternoon, 43 adults from 7 villages attended lessons on how to read and write. Women were 3

4 also taught life skills, such as making woollen doormats, table cloth and crocheting to sell, to help them generate income for their families. Remedial Classes: Slow learners from grades 1-7 from surrounding schools come for remedial classes on Wednesday and about 80 pupils attended class to improving their reading and writing skills. Computer Classes: The College also organised basic computer classes for 24 people from the surrounding community. The classes also included use of other IT technology such as smart phones. Preschools: The College worked with 2 pre-schools in improving the pedagogical approach that prepares the children for grade 1 in primary schools. One pre-school is at Fibanga primary school with 42 children and the other pre-school is at Mishingo primary school and had 38 children. The students together with DI s produced pre-school pedagogical materials to facilitate the teaching and learning. Youth clubs: The College worked with 38 youths clubs (consisting of 18 girls and 20 boys clubs) from the surrounding villages who formed Youth Club. The College students trained peer educators from the clubs as advocates to sensitize leaners in the neighbouring schools about HIV/AIDS, STIs and other health related issues. The peer educators also gave health messages during ball games competitions organised by the college. The youth club also helped in the cleaning of the college e.g. slashing, moulding bricks as well as digging the pits during common actions. Support groups: The College worked with 3 Support Groups of people living with HIV/AIDS. Main activities included training the club members in positive living and mobilising them to take part in health campaigns initiated by the college. 2.4 Events Teacher s Day: Student teachers and lecturers from the college participated in the match past together with other teachers in Mkushi District. Later the students together with teachers from 3 nearby school gathered at the college for different activities. Independence Day: During 50th Independence cerebration the students took part in the match past in which different organizations, Churches and companies took part. They also presented a poem and a sketch which showed the struggle for freedom. The students performed well and were given K150 by the Guest of Honor. Sports events: The College had inter-college sports with other colleges and institutions such as Nkumbi international college (at Nkumbi College), Zambia National Service (ZNS), 4

5 community teams and also Humana People to people colleges from different countries (Mozambique, Malawi and Angola) during their visit to the Mkushi college of Education. Common actions and building weekends: Four common actions / building weekends were carried out during the year with participation from the local community. The programme during these weekends were to maintain and improve the college infrastructure as well as the surrounding and strengthen the income generating activities. 2.5 Expansion of the college The plan is to expand the college to have a capacity of 60 graduating students yearly. In 2014 the College constructed a Science laboratory (for Biology, Chemistry and Physics) which by the end of the year was nearly completed. The same building will also be used as class rooms and has big veranda space for student group work. The College will start the construction of dormitories for the new intake of 30 students in 2015, as soon as the laboratory construction is done and additional construction will follow through raising funds from partners. 2.6 Income Generating Activities The college is working with a number of income generating activities to support its running. The plan was to raise 10,000 USD through these activities which was overachieved as the college managed to raise over 11,000 USD throughout the year. The activities include crop production, poultry and grinding mill. The college had planned to run 3 types of poultry production including traditional chickens, layers and broilers but changed the plan and decided to embark upon traditional chickens only as this production has a good market. Crop production: The College produced 54 by 50kg bags of maize, 7 by 50kg bags of beans and 15 by 25kg bags of sweet potatoes. The college planted 2 Lima of cassava and 0.25 hector of onion has been planted in the school garden. Poultry production: The College invested in a poultry house and it is raring 45 village chickens and plans to start keeping 100 broilers next month after investing in a wire fence of the poultry house. Grinding mill: The College invested in the grinding mill house and installed it. It is currently operational and brings in about K1, 650 per month on average. Tuck shop: The College is working on opening a tuck shop in January This shop will be operated in the same building as the grinding mill. 5

6 EFFECTS OF THE PROJECT The student teachers have developed personal skills from the international journey such as team work, planning, self-esteem and analyzing skills among others. The student teachers have learnt and understood the world they live in through their international and national journeys. The education methods have been good examples for students and others, to learn the importance of learner centered teaching methods and the importance of theory combined with practical training; The College is in collaboration with educational authorities in the District, Province and the nationwide at large. It has been sharing lessons learnt and best practices in the training programme with all stakeholders. The College had good results during the exams with 87% pass rate (27 out of 31 students who sat for exam graduated). It is also notable that 17 of these students passed with Credits, five with merits while 4 got passes. The surrounding community benefit from the college through the open days and through the outreach activities such as the women clubs, literacy and preschool programmes. After deployment of the trained teachers: The graduated teachers will contribute to quality of education in Zambia after graduation and placement; Increased number of teachers in rural schools; The graduated teachers will work closely with the community and spearhead rural development through promoting self-reliance and improved used of own resources; 6

7 Annex 1: Output table The construction was not accomplished as it needed additional funding raised from partners which was not achieved. Activities Goal for Achieved Percent Variance 2014 to date achieved Objective 1 Ensure student teachers are trained and empowered to work in rural communities. Number of Students enrolled in (4) 90.9% Number of students participating in a 4 months bus journey (4) 90.9% Number of students sitting year 1 exam in (5) 88.6% Pass rate during 2013 final exam for first intake 100% 87% (13) 87% % of participation in the Hands On activities 100% 100% % Objective 2 Improved College capacity. Space for additional number of students accommodated through newly constructed 60 0 (60) 0.0% dormitories and class room buildings. Construction of houses for accommodation for lectures and core group teachers (no of teachers accommodated) % Construction of laboratories and classrooms % Objective 3 Income Generating Activities for the College strengthened Tons of field crops produced 8 tons 7tons (1 tons) 87.5% Ha of garden 1 ha 1 ha % Ha of land farmed 2 ha ¾ha ¼ha 75.0% % of vegetables consumed at the college produced by the project % Number of broilers produced (100) 0.0% Number of layers kept 50 0 (50) 0.0% Number of Village chicken % Number of hummer mill % Income raised through income generating activities 10,000 11,811 (-1,811) 118.0% 7

8 ANNEX 2 PICTURES DAPP Mkushi College of Education graduation pictures 8

9 Pictures from the college 9

10 Pictures from the college Women s club out reach activity Income generating- Grinding mill New Laboratory/ class rooms Open day at the college for the surrounding community 10

11 ANNEX 3- SUCCESS STORY Queen Hamoonga, is a first year student at DAPP Mkushi College of Education. She says before coming to the College earlier this year, she had a different picture of the institution. I thought maybe the college was just like other education colleges we have in our country, but after being at the college for some time I have realized that DAPP Mkushi College of Education is unique. The students are involved in all the programmes that goes on around the college. We run the college together with the administration and lecturers, hence everything that happens at the college we are fully involved, she says. Our daily programmes start as early as 05:00 hours during this time all the students wake up and start attending to their areas of responsibility. This is an area given to every student to care for; this is where we learn how to be responsible of future responsibilities. This happens because each student is given a portion to be taking care of every day. This is done to prepare us to manage different responsibilities we will be assigned to in various schools where we will be employed. She is happy with the colleges education system. DAPP Mkushi College of Education believes in the principle of learning through experience, during our second term at the college we had a programme of bussing our continent and the main aim of bussing was travelling to learn. For example, a teacher who teaches out of experience is far much better than a teacher who taught based on theory and class room work, Queen says. She says as a proud teacher of DAPP I will be able to explain concretely the knowledge I acquired during bussing because I will be teaching out of experience based on what I saw and touched. Moreover, here at the college no one is regarded as better than the other therefore we are all treated equal, in terms of conflicts. The administration is involved in settling disputes among students which is unusual in other colleges. She is impressed that the lecturers are involved in all the social activities that go on amongst students and she is also happy with the meals which she says are balanced. She likes that the students take part in garden production headed by the production functional group students. Queen believes the college will one day become self -sustaining through the agriculture production. She is looking forward to completing her three year Diploma course and go serve the people in rural areas. 11

12 ANNEX 4 STUDENTS LEARNING THROUGH THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNEY The objective of the travel period is to give students firsthand experience and allow them relate theory to practical. This also helps them compare the education system, social life, economic activities and other cross cutting issues of different countries they visit to those of Zambia. It also helps the students broaden their understanding of human, social, economic and political conditions in the Southern African region through personal experience. Preparation: Lecturers and volunteers put the study material in the kindles. The students and lecturers prior to the travel had several preparatory meetings allocating the functional groups different tasks, (the groups were in charge of the kitchen and food, travel budget, bus maintenance, health and hygiene, security sports and discipline). Camping materials, kitchen utensils and solar lighting systems were bought. The functional groups planned how they would run their departments and the travelling team was updated on the progress. All travel arrangements were made including Yellow fever vaccination. Organising: Students were organized in core groups of four. Each group had 10 students. They were taught how to plan and organize their learning activities in their groups. During the tour, the bus, the tents and camp life is the school ground, while studies, courses and experiences take place in the villages, towns, farming communities and schools. The journey: The students undertook the educational tour from 12 th May to 31 st August The following represent some of the lessons learned during the journey: Lessons learnt in Zambia: The students started their study tour on the Copper belt where they visited mining areas, major markets, townships, industries to have a feel of some economic activities taking place in the country. Students also visited the heritage sites such as Nachikufu, Chipoma falls and Lubwa mission where First Republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda was born and schooled. Lessons learnt in Tanzania: The students were able to see farming activities and industries and went further to visit the slave trade market in Baga Moyo along the Indian Ocean. They also saw the ocean and the big harbor in Dar Es Salam. They interacted with teacher training colleges and universities and shared experiences affecting education system in Tanzania. Lessons learnt in Malawi: The students visited Lake Malawi and saw the fishing activities that take place and its contribution to the economy of the country. They also visited a tea plantation in Mlanje and other social and economic activities. The students also lived for some days with families in the communities to learn about their culture and traditions. Lessons learnt in Zimbabwe: The students visited commercial farmers and saw how the economy of the country has been affected during the recent land reform and the international sanctions against Zimbabwe. The students also visited the HPP Headquarters. Lessons learnt in Botswana: The impact of global warming on the economy of the country was seen in Botswana after visiting rural and urban places of that country. The team visited a number of projects dealing with HIV/AIDS and interacted with people living with HIV/AIDS at Francis Hope project. The following attachment was developed by one of the development instructors who took part in the journey 12

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17 ANNEX 5- DOCUMENTATION - PAGESFROM THE GRADUATION BOOK 17