Education systems

I came into teaching fairly late in my working life, having done a myriad of other jobs which enabled me to (mainly) travel. Friends often would say to me: "You should be a teacher!" I was never certain of what to teach, but I always agreed that I enjoy working with children and young people! You get a buzz from their energy, and certainly for me, their innocence and curiosity is captivating.

It was fantastic when I learnt of the new subject, 'Citizenship', which involved all of my favourite topics! Also, central to the subject was involving the students in the lesson as much as possible, as opposed to the other end of the spectrum, dictating using a 'chalk and talk' method. Into teaching I went! At first it was like putting on a glove, it fitted so perfectly! Student-centred learning is enjoyable: if we give them the chance, young people will surprise us and rise to whatever challenge or task we suggest.

This is why it saddens me so much whenever people here ask me about what it's like back home, and I reflect on what's going on with the education system in the UK. The article here describes it much better than I could hope to:
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/mar/14/teachers-life-inside-the-exam-factory

'Soft' subjects that contribute to a child's whole learning experience; subjects which prepare them in life skills which are difficult to measure rather than subjects which can have outcomes in numbers - these are being sidelined. Time is spent measuring, assessing, then giving justification (within a set of given options nonetheless) on why/if they're not 'on target'. (How those targets are determined are the topic for another reflection.) Teachers are having a hard time of it, and the students are suffering with higher stress levels as well as having to deal with their own issues such as, you know, growing up. More issues can then compound such as worsening classroom behaviour, tired teachers who have to deal with the worsening behaviour, and so on downwards it can go. That's not to say it is going downhill for all the schools, but reported rises in stress and teacher resignations is a worrying national trend.

Here in Tanzania we're on a project to support student-centred learning, using participatory methods rather than the 'chalk and talk', lecture style, that the students (and student teachers) are used to. The government have decreed that children should be at the centre of their learning, however seem to have neglected to provide the means and know-how for their student teachers and tutors to support them with it until now, and we're pretty thinly-spread out! I am pleased to report, though, that some student teachers and tutors are 'singing from the same songsheet' as the project and know how beneficial student-centred learning is, to both teacher and pupil (see 'The Lazy Teacher's Handbook' for more info if you need convincing!).

Tanzania seems to be following in the footsteps of the UK, albeit that it'll be a few years before everyone in the class has an idea on how to participate in their own learning. However, I really hope they manage to slam on the brakes and reflect before they also adopt the next phase that we're going though.