Global Sharing.

As a volunteer, you can choose to sign up for a program that matches you (or you choose) an American teacher in which to exchange letters over the course of your service.

I have been writing to Mr. Mathisen’s classroom at Manor High School as often as I get the opportunity.

Here is an example of a more recent letter I sent them. This time I got to type it and email it because I am wrapping up training in Port Vila. So they might actually get this one! I also don’t have to worry about spelling or punctuation as much because it will be read to them. yee-haw!

 

February 1, 2011

HI Again!!
I leave tomorrow back to my island and have spent the last two weeks in the capital city, completing over 60 hours of training and getting ready to go back and actually start working. I’m super nervous!!

I thought I’d share with you all what YOUR life would be like should you be a student here. I have several friends who teach computers at a secondary school, and this is what their students experience-

You would live at school starting at class 7. Your parents would have to start forking over a hefty chunk of money starting at class 7, because the government does not pay for education here. In fact, all of the money that pays for primary school students comes from New Zealand, and in 6 years the government of Vanuatu will stop receiving that particular aid. Nobody is sure what will happen then. It’d be a shame to see primary school students having to pay to go to school.

If your parents cannot afford for you to go to school, you simply must stay home starting after year 6. A lot of men go off to other islands and New Zealand to do work, such as picking apples or grapes. This leaves the mother at home a majority of the year raising her other children by herself.
Otherwise, you are pretty much out of luck.
This is a HUGE problem in my village. The villagers are really poor because a ship does not come to the East side of my island, meaning they cannot sale COPRA (fruit/oils of coconut) or Kava. Because they cannot make money, their children cannot go to school. The students typically know this is their destiny- to stay at home- so they tend to not try hard in school. Or not come to school half the time. These are the issues I will have to deal with while working in my Primary School.

Would you continue to go to school if you knew you’d be staying at home after class 6? What do you think would motivate these students to continue going?

So for the students who are driven enough or with enough money to go to secondary school, they have three options- government schools, church schools, or missionary schools.

They have a rigid curriculum and their electives are based both on their school grades and their selected “career of choice.” Suppose, however, a student wants their “career of choice” to be medical or law, but their grades don’t make the cut then they will be put on a track of a different career path-arts (not surprisingly most females are put in this group). Their graades are really deciding their destiny- not too unlike America. Tests are given on a raw score and based on a National Standard. This means that teachers are expected to pass and fail s particular amount of students every year. Imagine coming in to your class and Mr. Mathisen already knowing that only 10 of you would pass this year. A lot of teachers also believe that if a majority of their students fail a test, than they were successful in making the test “hard enough.” They don’t take in to consideration the fact that they might not be teaching the material well. This is another huge problem I have to try to get some of the teachers at my school to overcome.

So that’s a school system overview, but what about the life of a student? Unless you lived fairly close to school, you would be required to live at school, which is typically a large room with 10-15 sets of bunk beds. “Friending” or dating/interaction with the opposite sex is prohibited. You get caught kissing a boy, you get kicked out of school.
Here is an example of a typical schedule:

515- wake up
530-700 study. All students must present be in their classroom doing work/studying
730-330 class
330-600 chores. Cutting grass, sweeping school, etc. Bathe.
630-830: study
830-850: devotion
900: lights out

So as you can see this is a busy day, full of studying and chores. Of course there are movie nights, sports afternoons and things of that nature, but it is still quite a rigorous lifestyle.
Over half of these kids will not be going on to University from lack of money, which is sad considering how much studying they do. Ni-Vanuatan’s are some of the hardest working people I’ve ever met. These kids have been put to work ever since they could walk. The problem lies in the funding they receive and their overall view of education.

The educational system is not going to change before I leave Vanuatu, and I pray it doesn’t get any worse. However, I have the opportunity to at least show some students that education is important and that learning can be fun. Even if the students at my school come to class a few more days a year and read 5 more books because of me- I will consider this a huge accomplishment.

This is the part where I tell you guys to work hard, appreciate your teachers, and take time to reflect on how lucky you have it. You at least CAN go to school for free and CAN apply for all kinds of available loans and grants to get to college. Don’t waste this opportunity.

Until next time! Love from Vanuatu!