|
Chronicle of Education Peace Corps The Gambia April - May 2000 Issue Eds: M. Maxson & M. Bennet |
Classes Interrupted!
On Monday, April 10th, classes and mock exams
were interrupted by unexpected student
involvement. Teachers were shocked at the
unusual flourish of activity. One official, who
(anonymously) was daring enough to comment,
said “There were circumstances.”
On Tuesday, April 11th, one day later, these
student protests spread to the “outlying regions”.
Again, professionals in army fatigues reportedly
quenched the outburst. Omar Fatty, a vocational
consultant in Kanifing, claimed “Students with
dreadlocks and crowbars destroyed Westfield
junction.” This statement was not confirmed by
the Government, and these reports were largely
ignored by the Independent, which ran as it’s top
headline “Government Urged To Fix Ferries“.
Since then, classes have been canceled and are
expected to resume on May 8th.
Science Exhibition Update
The March 17th FAWE-funded regional science exhibition
went off smoothly. However, no experiments were
submitted. Rather, the exhibition consisted entirely of
demonstrations. One group synthesized aspirin from
salicylic acid (how did they get such expertise?). My
favorite was the group that built an electric fan using electric
fan parts but made their own stand and fan blades. However,
it didn’t blow air because the fan blades were flat (Hello?
Didn’t bother to look at a working one did ya?). I
recommended they plan ahead next year so that more
schools can participate. So stay tuned about 7 months from
now.
Ten Reasons to Respect Your Science
Teacher (Comments from Jackie Francy’s
11th grade science students):
1. It is very important to give full respect to our teachers
at any time and they are like our parents. Even more
than the parents because we are only born by the
parents and teachers will give us the education so that
we can benefits ourselves in feature and help our
parent (and education without moral is nonoitity1).
2. Because she use to stand in front of the class and she
teacher through the lesson and a student should even
respect he or her teachers because went somebody is
standing in front of you were be the person is given
must in your brain or putting something in brain you
should give the person full respect.
3. It is a sin of declaration and inferiority for one to
respect your teacher.
4. Because what she have done for we the biology
student even we cannot pay her ¼ of ¼. She is kind to
everyone she makes people who cannot think of doing
biology to respect her subject and are able to do it.
She brougth as many books as possible really I cannot
say all the importance is because of I am on a test. So
let us respect.
5. Please! We like your way of teachen, please move
with us.
6. Because that can lead you to pass even exams. Now
adays if you dont study it is a problem so teachers
must be termed as our born parent.
7. Student in gread 11G are very empolite, especially
some of us. I don’t want to mention names, but they
really made me flabbergasted when I had them saying
nasty word to you. I really feel it, but I have not power
over them. Truly speaking, we should act no you as if
you are our own, sister-in-law who we left at home.
Meanwhile take care of yourself and do not listen to
them as the proverb says, ignorance is the best answer
to a full.
8. Because they are given you what they have learn you
should respect and follow them listen when teaching
you and if you donnut understand him, told him, I
donnut understand with respect.
9. It is important to do your science teacher.
10. …even the money we pay our school fees cannot pay
the techer only God himself can pay that individual
satisfactrily. No student can satisfy your teacher by
paying her unless you respect…
1. nonoitity is S.H.I.T.’s official word of the month. Please submit
your definition to: pcv@qanet.gm
PCTG News Update
In March PCTG held an IPBS (planning and
budget seminar) to plan for the next three
years. Marc, Adam, and Katie B. were he
volunteer representatives. Gibril was officially
named Health APCD and the Natural Resource
Management sector officially changed its name
to “Environment”.
In April, PCTG held a conference to improve
PCT for 2000. Julie V. and Kyene were the
volunteer representatives. Tendaba meetings
were moved to Wednesday-Friday of each
week. Site visit was extended half a week, and
the senior staff said that next year they would
emphasize language training, with more tests
and accountability (and this time they said they
mean it, folks!)
May 15-19, there will be another GLOBE
workshop, and perhaps a HEALTH IST?
Rumor has it that 4 representatives from
Washington will be at the GLOBE workshop;
however, these 4 are from GLOBE
Washington, not Peace Corps Washington.
Websites of the Month - Hethur McKinley
tes.co.uk - An English educational publication.
It has a link to sandards.defree.gov.uk which
has ICT lesson plans you can download. Good
for activities. Link to
www.bbc.co.uk/education/cdb/teachers for
ways to integrate ICT in the curriculum.
funschool.com - Good primary & JSS games
www.edu-soft.org and www.edufree.com - free
educational demos
kidsource.com/kidsource/pages/donation.html
- A Donation/Grant program
www.teschange.org and
www.cit.org.uk/computeraid - two sites for
computer donations to schools (submitted by
Jodi Lis)
[Editor’s Choice] Reference Guides to
Computers for kids: www.eff.org and
ids.ac.uk/eldis/kid/kids.html and
matisse.net/files/glossary.html and
www.learnthenet.com
Looking For a Good Home -Jackie Francy
I (Jackie) had a great visit from my parents last
month, complete with the arrival of nine boxes
of donations. I sent letters out last December
requesting that people clean out their labs and
send anything they want to get rid of our way.
I got an overwhelming response and I am still
trying to figure out how to ship the rest of the
stuff over here. Any ideas, let me know. Most
of the stuff that I received was computer parts
and I am trying to figure out how to put them
together. My school is less than excited to
have a computer lab, but I am determined to
have it functioning next year. I have a bunch
of extra stuff, including tons of pencils, a
couple ammeters, many Newton scales, a
couple simple balances, many prepared slides,
small rulers, and latex gloves. If anyone can
use anything, let me know.
I am in contact with an RPCV in Seattle that may
be able to help transport donations over in a
container that she is raising money to ship next
winter. It is full of books and she asked me to
help me distribute them. More details when
she comes up with the $5000.00 that she needs.
Potpourri
One of the questions on a Grade 12 Practice
Exam for Environmental and Social Studies:
Which of the following is not true of rural
Gambian women? (a.) They marry at a young
age. (b.) They are mostly illiterate. (c.) They
have many babies. (d.) They have access to
health facilities.
Editor’s Note
Do you remember receiving a “Live &
Learn” newsletter as a prospective PCTG
volunteer? Didn’t it look totally boring? Well,
since it’s that time again, I am going to ask
Yamai to send this issue to the newbie, er,
future-first-year volunteers. I hope that in the
time that Melody and I have been editing this
pile of…, er, piece of work, we have made it a
little more informative and I dare say,
humourous! (Sorry for the unnecessary use of an
exclamation point. It won’t happen again!) So I
hope that some new volunteer takes a look and
likes what she sees, so she can replace me next
year. I’m gonna go out for Phatwad next year.
Toodles,
Marc Maxson, Ed.
The Organic Way To Send The Very Best!
Sick of everyone else's shit? Give them some of
your own. One warm, fresh, butt-custard size
and species of your choice delivered to anyone,
anytime, anywhere in the world. Packages can be
sent anonymously or with a custom greeting card
of your choice.
2 TON African Elephant. A rare find! No lie,
we will send a titanic amount (over 10lbs.) of
pure, grade "A", 100% African Elephant dung
anywhere in the world! We will include a free
CRAP-O-GRAM.COM t-shirt with every
Shitterprise order. As always Kling-Ons
included!
$100
$10.00 Shipping
This is one massive mound of MOO-MOO butt-
mud, straight from the ass of a 1000lb bull! A
must see! Have you ever wanted to tell your boss
that this is BULLSHIT!!!!
$30
$5.00 Shipping
Small but sweet, remember its's the thought that
counts! $12
$5.00 Shipping
CNN NEWS FEED
April 11, 2000 (www.cnn.com)
Web posted at: 4:13 PM EDT (2013 GMT)
BANJUL, Gambia (AP) -- Students set fire
to government buildings during protests across
this West African country Tuesday after police
shot at demonstrators, killing at least 12
people.
The most serious violence took place in the
central town of Janjanbureh, where students
razed the telecommunications and postal
buildings and ransacked government offices,
national radio reported. There were no
immediate reports of casualties.
The anger was in response to the arrest and
killing of students during a demonstration
Monday against the alleged torture of a high
school student by security force members and
the reported rape of a 13-year-old girl by a
police officer.
When police tried to stop the students from
marching through the capital, Banjul, the
protest erupted into rioting. Police used live
ammunition to restore order, killing at least 12
people, said morgue officials. Many more
people were treated for injuries at the main
hospital, though staff did not have exact
figures.
Gambia, a sliver of a nation that follows
along a river of the same name, is
surrounded by Senegal on Africa's western
edge. Copyright 2000 The Associated Press.
All rights reserved.