josey's friends from home have arrived. They were in Uganda previously. CM has been working as a teacher there for a few months. It is interesting to hear her take on what Tanzania is like because she has Uganda to compare it to.
Some of the stories she's told have re-inforced what I heard about rural education (though it was an article about India). A huge issue is getting teachers to teach! Absenteeism is a huge issue and I gather it's frustrating for both the children and the parents. They seem to recognize that education is your best way to improve your situation and get out of crushing poverty yet the teachers aren't motivated enough to be able to provide a consistent education.
One of josey's projects is providing solar power to school and teacher's homes. The hope is that providing it to teacher's homes will help schools recruit teachers. Also, many teachers will opt to live miles away from their schools just to have power. This will entice them to live closer and, hopefully and presumably, improve the absenteeism rates.
bonus info: there is universal education in Tanzania (though parents have to support the school for food and charcoal). Kids don't start school at a set age - they start school when they can reach over their head and touch their opposite ear. I couldn't make this up!
2 comments:
Good thing you aren't from Tanzania, or you never would have been able to start school!
Haha, jk, lol.
That's why building the schools should be lower down on the West's to-do list. There's a few other bits in there that are generally overlooked...
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