Enriching Classroom Experiences In The Gambia
7 March 2008
University visit to The Gambia.
University of Derby academics and students are involved in two separate and equally exciting initiatives to help transform the learning experiences of schoolchildren in the African nation of The Gambia.
BEd Programme Leader Fiona Shelton and colleagues within the School of Education have just returned from an aid trip to the country, where they have also promoted a range of holistic education techniques.
Meanwhile students and staff on the BSc (Hons) Third World Development Studies and BSc (Hons) Geography course under the direction of senior lecturer Dr Franc Jegede, are appealing for teaching aids they can take on their next trip to the country on March 25.
Here are more details about each initiative:
Fiona Shelton
Teacher Education lecturer Fiona Shelton, her students, and University Classroom Services manager Tony Waldron, in conjunction with Kniveton Primary School’s head teacher Lynn Board, her school community and members of the wider public have been busy collecting goods for the Gambian people.
Redundant University TVs, video cassette recorders and cabinets were delivered to the Teacher Training College in Brikama in Gambia, together with a host of other donated goods from the community, in a 40ft container in February. These goods will also be used by local communities and schools there. Dot Priestly, Lynn’s mother instigated and organised the collection of goods; the container left the University on 15 January.
The group faced an early headache when they arrived in Banjul – they were forced to pay customs duty for the goods to be unloaded – but their trip attracted the positive attention of Education Minister Yahya Jammeh and Teacher Education Lecturer Sulayman Barry. Eventually, after a number of lengthy meetings, Dot was told the goods could be released.
While in The Gambia, they also visited Janet International School to deliver a series of classroom lessons. Kniveton Primary School is currently supported by the British Council as they aspire to achieve International School Status. University students and pupils at Kniveton Primary School previously helped create teaching aids such as paper clocks and calendars for the school in 2006.
Now back at Derby, Fiona plans to create a University video of classroom techniques that trainee teachers can use in The Gambia, championing the environment.
Fiona said: “It’s a humbling experience to go to The Gambia as the children have nothing but are so eager to learn. Many teachers in The Gambia are unqualified and although they work incredibly hard, poor literacy and language skills mean that education is not as effective as it could be.
“We plan to use holistic approaches in the education video, where Gambian teachers can make use of the environment around them, such as trees and the villages, to bring classroom learning to life, as many of their classrooms are just dusty rooms with little else for inspiration.”
On March 18, some of Fiona’s Bachelor of Education students, Jenny Clayton, Danielle Fielden, Kirsty Lee, Fern McGahey, Laura Millward and Nicolas Snow, will travel to The Gambia to take part in an overseas trip to develop their teacher trainee skills in the classroom setting. They return on April 8.
Dr Franc Jegede
This academic team has generated a formal link over ten years with Serekunda Primary School. Second year BSc Third World Development Studies students have visited the country every year for a decade. Recently, BSc (Hons) International Relations and Global Development course students went to the West African state of The Gambia on a field course.
University staff and students are busy collecting easily portable materials such as stationery, inflatable footballs, and aging but still useable laptops for the school.
Dr Jegede said: “On each occasion, during our previous visits, we have observed staff at Serekunda Primary School in their struggle to provide basic education for hundreds of children from low income families.
“The field course is designed to help our students understand the challenges and problems facing low income countries in an increasingly globalised but largely divided and unequal world.
“Some of the children drop out of school because of a lack of money to buy writing materials such as pens, pencils, notebooks, school uniforms etc. Most of the things we take for granted here are not readily available there, so anything people no longer use or need may be of value to some children there.” Fifteen Geography students will join academic staff including Dr Jegede on the trip on March 25. To offer help, contact Franc on: 01332 591739, email: f.j.jegede@derby.ac.uk or colleague Dr John Stubbs on 01332 591737 or email j.stubbs@derby.ac. A box labelled ‘Gambia Primary School Children’ is next to the Reception, in the University’s School of Education, Health and Sciences, at Kedleston Road.
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For more information about this news release, contact Simon Butt, Press and PR Officer, on 01332 591891 or 07748 920023, or email: s.butt@derby.ac.uk.
This press release was written by Deputy Head of Press and PR Simon Redfern on 01332 591942 or email: s.redfern@derby.ac.uk.
