Join me on a Malawian school tour
In this update, I’ll be taking you through one of the 17 primary schools I work in. I’ll show you around the school grounds, inside one of the classrooms and a VSO learning centre, and how the children use the educational tablets.
July's featured volunteer
Moni onse! I’m Theonas Kalumika, VSO Education Specialist in Malawi, and I’ll be taking you forward on your Sponsor a Volunteer journey. Read on to find out how, with your support, we’re giving children here the education they deserve.
In Malawi, poor learning conditions and a lack of resources have created barriers to children’s education.
Over two thirds of students don’t finish primary school and those that do often lack the skills needed to thrive as older children and adults. Many primary schools have classes full of hundreds of students but only one teacher, meaning many children get left behind in their education, and eventually drop out altogether.
By supporting children with educational tablets, they're taking huge leaps in their learning. I was very excited when I heard about the work VSO is doing in schools in Malawi, and ever since I started volunteering I've been able to share my knowledge with everyone here. I can't wait to update you on how our work here in Malawi is going, and how your support is helping change children's lives.
July '24 volunteer update
Here in Malawi, most primary schools are very basic. Some lack fundamental resources such as textbooks or desks, and some don’t even have running water or electricity. I’m sure you can only imagine how impossible it is to teach and learn in conditions like this. It’s unbelievably challenging for children to progress through their education and finish school in these environments.
But thanks to support like yours, the learning centres built by VSO have been instrumental to children’s learning. In the video below, you’ll see and hear the incredible difference between a class of 200 children, and the peace in the learning centre. With a teacher and volunteer on hand, the learning centre is a quiet and productive space for 30 children at a time. The educational tablets have been fundamental to providing quality education that children deserve.
Thank you
Generosity like yours is changing the lives of children here in Malawi - they’re learning to read, write and count thanks to time spent in the learning centre.
I’d love to hear your thoughts – or simply, come and say hello – by leaving me a message below.
Speak soon,
Theo
VSO Education Specialist, Malawi
Want to ask a question?
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Your latest questions answered
It’s good to hear about the use of iPads and tablets to improve primary school learning. These early stages where children learn to read and write and do maths are so important.
Theonas
Indeed there are more problems here which cannot be listed despite the great need to make the children acquire the basics of education. The huge classes lead to issues of class management as you might have overheard on the video clip. Here classes with seats are sometimes available for senior classes only like grade 6-8, but in some schools only grade 8 enjoys them. Noel, let me encourage you to keep on supporting VSO with your finances otherwise it is through your support that most children have accessed digital learning. We appreciate your heart.
if children aged 7-9 are attending the Learning Centre in groups of 30, does that mean that each child in those year groups gets sessions? If not, how do teachers decide which children will attend?
Theonas
As for groups of learners attending sessions in the Learning Centre, take note that all learners are grouped in groups of 30 or 40 learners and each group is given an equal chance through the use of a timetable, this is where we appreciate and encourage you to continue supporting VSO so that more iPads or tablets are bought to allow more learners to attend a digital class at once. With these small groups of 30/40 learners, it is difficult and time consuming where a school has 300 learners plus because the learners will have a chance of attending one session only per week.
Did the children in the 'normal' classroom need encouragement to make it sound so noisy? I imagine not! And it makes a great contrast with the Learning Centre.
Theonas
What I know is that the noise is not by design it's a class management issue where the learners have been left uncontrolled for too long despite being a large class and they are are used to making noise otherwise learners were supposed to be quiet in class. Of course with inclusive education that Malawi is practising, some learners with learning disabilities especially those with mental problems and unsettledness could be some of these noise makers but the noise is on the higher side. .Alison, this where you will see that managing a class in highly enrolled schools is a challenge here in Malawi, one teacher against 100 + learners as opposed there where you have a teacher, assistant teacher and a volunteer to manage a class of 30. However, you can see that the quietness in the learning centre provides for a good environment for concentration and focus to most learners. This is because the number of learners in the group is small and that as we support the schools in the project we emphasise that learners should raise hands if they have issues and need support of some kind.
Did you know?
We bring about lasting change not by sending aid, but by working through volunteers to empower communities in some of the world’s poorest regions. You can read more about VSO’s areas of work and discover more about our projects here.
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