Students from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) have flown to Africa to help support schools bringing in a new reading scheme.
The students will be working in two schools in Tilinanu, Malawi to share ideas which have worked in classrooms in Leicester.
They will also be working with charity
Love, Support, Unite which runs community projects in Malawi supporting families and villages.
With the students on the 10-day trip is Allan Dunsmore, community partnership manager at New College, Leicester and
Dr Rachel Higdon, senior lecturer in Education at DMU.
New College runs a successful paired reading scheme and a reading mentor programme with DMU which have helped raise children’s literacy rates and inspired a love of reading.
In Malawi, there is less formal training for teachers and some classes have as many as 200 pupils. The DMU students will be introducing the idea of smaller group working, sharing how the reading scheme works and helping with lesson planning.
Mr Dunsmore said: “I want to help the teachers be more effective in helping the pupils. If we raise their education we can raise their aspirations and life chances.
“We’re taking resources out there with us. I’ve managed to get 49 whiteboards, 100 pens, 200 pencils, a cricket bat – because we’re going to introduce cricket to the children! We’ve also got 30 bio-viewers, they’re like microscopes but don’t require lighting equipment so they will be easier for them to use.
“The DMU students will be getting involved in lesson planning and introducing the idea of small working groups to help the pupils learning process. I’m conscious to be very sensitive to the teachers and to not bombard them – it’s all about what we can do to help them.”
The trip has been organised through
#DMUglobal, the university’s award-winning programme to boost learning through international experiences. Many students who are on the trip are in their final year and this visit could help shape research interests or form the basis of a study.
Many students are planning on becoming teachers or teaching abroad, so this experience will give them an invaluable insight.
Computer Games Programming student James Porter said: “I chose this #DMUglobal trip because it is education focused and I believe it will help me greatly in applying for a PGCE.
“I think it is going to be really good. I am slightly nervous but I’m just looking forward to the different environment and what it can give me in terms of what it is like over there compared to over here.”
Ellie Crozier, will also be going into her third year as an
English student in September.
She said: “I want to do a PGCE to be an English teacher so I thought this trip would really help me stand out. I haven’t gotten any volunteering experience as of yet but I started the TEFL programme offered by Square Mile and #DMUglobal as I want to teach abroad.
“In general, I thought it would be an experience to see the difference in education systems across the world.”
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DMU staff donate books and computers to help communities in The GambiaDr Higdon said: “I think that in terms of sharing skills and expertise, the students will learn a lot as will the teachers and children in Malawi, so there will definitely be learning on both sides.
“Students here in the UK are used to a very structured and organised education system and it will be interesting to see a comparative one which is constantly changing.
“I think it’s going to be amazing. I think for some people it will be life-changing and offer them a completely different perspective on life.”
Jess Bogic,
DMU Square Mile Projects and Outreach Officer, helped to coordinate the trip and will be supporting the students in Malawi.
She said: “I think it’s going be lots of fun! It will be quite a challenge, quite emotional but I think everyone is going to learn lots and hopefully we can learn lots from them too.”
Posted on Wednesday 6 July 2016