My first school tour was the same week that I arrived. Schools weren’t in session so the tour was mostly for me to see the school campuses and meet head masters or head mistresses and some staff. That was also my first tour of Makeni.
It was overwhelming to travel down roads (some paved, most not) and see the homes where people live and the schools where children learn here in Sierra Leone.
In the past month, Mr. Dumbuya and I have visited several schools – mostly in Makeni, but also some in Freetown. Before we start planning teacher workshops, I wanted to visit schools so I could get a solid understanding of teaching and learning in Sierra Leone.
There are no books
If you live in a developed country like the United States, you probably have a certain image in your mind when you think about a classroom. If you picture a preschool or primary-level classroom, you think carpet squares, small tables and chairs, learning centers fashioned like tiny kitchens and grocery stores, and tons of colorful construction paper, crayons, scissors, and glue sticks! If you picture an elementary classroom, you think of desks arranged in pods, informational posters, computers (or individual iPads), and interactive whiteboards. If you picture a junior high or high school classroom, you think of technology, labs, and classroom arrangements made to promote collaboration among students. Classrooms are as varied as teachers, but the general features remain the same.
Something you will see in virtually any American classroom is BOOKS. Lots and lots of BOOKS! Students have their own textbook for each subject. Teachers have teacher’s manuals. Some teachers have their own classroom libraries and of course there are large school libraries. Books are everywhere!
Visiting classrooms here in Sierra Leone, of course I noticed the condition of the buildings. They are all in need of repair. Of course I noticed that many of the classrooms are beyond crowded – some with well over 50 students. Of course I noticed the dilapidated chalkboards. Many are so worn that you can’t read the writing just a few rows back. What I found most alarming, though, is the lack of books. There are no books to be found. Teachers might have books that they are teaching from (I am told these exist, but I have only seen one), but I have yet to see a student with a textbook. Please understand, this is not a criticism of teachers, schools, towns, or Sierra Leone. This is just reality. Teachers are teaching here – they are trying – but the student outcomes are not good. The literacy rate in Sierra Leone is one of the lowest in the world at 43%. Compare that to the world average of 84% (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2022).
I believe it is a matter of knowledge and skill. In any profession, you can do only what you know. When you add to your knowledge base, you can do more. I am looking forward to facilitating collaborative teacher workshops here so I can share knowledge and skills and then work with teachers to find ways to implement new techniques with the resources that are available.
There is no technology
When I first started teaching, there was not a computer in every classroom (insert old teacher jokes here). But, it was OK, because we had, you guessed it, BOOKS! Students had books. Teachers had books. I could just say, look at the picture on page 36 and we would all know what we were talking about. Once I got my hands on a computer, though, everything changed.
Teachers in Sierra Leone do not have computers and they do not have teacher’s manuals that are paired with student textbooks. In order to teach a lesson, they have to write the lesson on the board. In the picture above, the teacher drew the fish diagram and labeled it. He taught the lesson while pointing to the parts on the diagram. When this lesson was over, he would need to erase the board and write the next lesson on the board. Language arts – a board full of sentences, paragraphs, or spelling words. Math – a board full of math notes and math problems. Literature – a paragraph or two from the story. Teachers spend a lot of time painstakingly writing on chalkboards and students spend lots of time waiting. Again – no criticism here. Quite the opposite, actually. The teachers here are my kind of people – they are do-what-it-takes kind of people. They are working with what they have – doing their best.
*Below is a gallery of chalkboards.
Classrooms are overcrowded
Most of the classrooms are overcrowded, which makes it very difficult to engage all students in a lesson. In the classroom pictured above, there are 75 students. They are seated three to a desk in desks meant for two students. The teacher can’t move through the aisles to check students’ work.
The teaching style that I have seen in virtually every classroom here is choral response. The teacher provides a prompt and the students respond in unison. This is a great strategy for some teaching situations, but it isn’t right for all teaching situations. It makes sense, though, that this is what teachers do here… they don’t have books, but they can use their voices.
In the video below, the teacher is using choral response.
Teachers are not in it for the money
I think it is a universal truth that teachers are not in it for the money.
This is a preschool classroom in Makeni. Preschool and primary-level teachers are the happiest people I know. They spend their lives singing and being adored by children. How could you do that job and not be happy? Just look at this teacher. You can tell she loves what she is doing.
This is one of my favorite pictures! I had to zoom in on this little sweetheart. She could barely contain her happiness while singing and clapping with her teacher. Her shirt says, we all need a little sparkle, and you can just tell that she brings the sparkle everywhere she goes.
More proof that teachers are not in it for the money. The classroom was so crowded that I had to stand outside and watch through the window. The class is not normally this crowded, but the roof blew off another building so they had to combine classrooms. Even teaching twice as many children as usual, he did a wonderful job. They are singing, Hello everyone how are you? Hello everyone how are you? Hello everyone how are you? How are you today? Then, Very well, thank you, how are you? Very well, thank you, how are you…
This primary school begins the day with an assembly and the band plays as students march proudly to their classrooms. What a wonderful way to start the day.
*My favorite school in Makeni*
Schools in Sierra Leone (and universities too) are given a rating of A, B, or C. A-schools are “the best” and C-schools are “the worst”. I’ve talked to a few different people about this and my understanding is that the ratings are given based on the condition of the building, whether or not there are toilet facilities, the qualifications of the teachers, the location (rural or urban), and the number of children. There may be other variables considered too. Generally, private schools are given higher ratings than public schools and people accept the ratings as true without question.
I visited all levels of schools (A, B, and C) and did not see much difference in any of the variables.
This is a C-level school. Two families live in some of the rooms (blocked off from the rest) and classrooms have been constructed in the remaining rooms. This is my favorite school of all the ones that I have visited so far. The class sizes are small and the teachers are engaged. The teaching skills were the same as all the other schools, but the small class sizes gave the school a lovely, calm, composed vibe, which you can probably tell from the pictures in the gallery below.
More pictures...
It was my intention, with this blog post, to convey the reality of the schools in Sierra Leone in an honest and respectful way. I have nothing but high regard and admiration for the school leaders and teachers here – I hope that came across in my writing.
For the past two months I have spent most of my time and energy on university program development. Although that is rewarding work, the joy I find in this profession comes from spending time in classrooms with teachers and children. I am very much looking forward to collaborating with teachers during the next several months. I will keep you updated on our work.
*All schools gave permission for pictures and videos to be taken and posted on this blog. I do not give permission for anyone to download or share the pictures or videos.
Kim, So great to read about your experience there in Sierra Leone. It all sounds and looks amazing. What a challenge for those teachers. Looking forward to reading future postings.
Joe
It’s nice to hear from you, Joe.
Kim thanks for sharing about the schools you visited. The pictures are amazing. Especially the chalk boards, the teachers seam to be so dedicated.
Kim,
I’ve finally pulled up you blog link & read this first post. It truly is an informative & respectful narrative of Sierra Leone’s educational reality. Thank you; I look forward to reading further. ~Suzie
Hi Suzie, Thank you for your comment. My biggest concern with my blog posts is that I accurately, honestly, and respectfully represent life in Sierra Leone from my perspective. This post is my most recent. They are ordered from the newest to the oldest. I hope to get another post up soon.