Personal stories from the Rwandan teachers

Working alongside Rwandan teachers gave me opportunity to consider the differences between the UK and Rwandan educational systems. Both have their merits. Rwandan teachers were notably committed, working double shifts in difficult conditions with no food but this got me thinking. Are UK teachers less committed or does it just not show up as well?

One of my teachers asked at the end of the session if he could have the single sheet of flip chart paper I had used. The following day I saw this paper recycled and re purposed as a learning aid for his "lower learners." A lot of effort had clearly gone in to this. Would a UK teacher have done the same? With the use of IT in UK schools I wonder if people's strengths get hidden behind powerpoints, smartboards etc. It was certainly very liberating having to teach with only a piece of chalk to support you. I really started to enjoy it. Perhaps western teachers have grown too reliant on technology.

When we ran conferences, the teachers were generally familiar with many of the pedagogical techniques. The difficulties were how to apply them within a Rwandan classroom. They understood the merits of group work but moving big heavy wooden desks was heavy. They understood they needed to carry out regular AfL but without paper, how was this possible? I learnt a lot exploring this with them and between us we all found ways of achieving using whatever was available. For them it was making the most of the resources they do have whereas for me I hope to use significantly fewer resources so I can focus much more on the learning - the connection between teacher and pupil.

Our teachers were teaching in schools with no water and therefore no sanitation. Children came to school hungry and there was nothing the teachers could do as they too were hungry. A teacher gets paid roughly 40,000 RWF a month (£40) which is barely enough to get by on. I was touched by the story of one teacher whose aim in life was to save enough to buy a cow (600,000 RWF) so he could better provide for his family. Teaching in Rwanda is becoming a respected profession but there appears to be a way to go. Certainly, in the UK, it is unusual for a teacher to have to miss meals. Everyone moans about their wage and I do believe teachers do an awful lot for what they earn but when compared to the Rwandan teachers it is difficult to feel hard done by.

I worked with a teacher with a story common to many in Rwanda. She had returned to Nyamasheke, her home district to teach as she wanted to educate the children of this district. She kept saying it was very important to her but never explained why so during one break I asked her. Her eyes lowered and she said that she had to leave 23 years ago but she came back when she could. She is roughly the same age as me. This is a common thing for Rwandans to say. Her family were killed in the Genocide but she managed to escape and survive. For these teachers, education is essential. There is a sense of sadness about the country but also one of hope. These teachers are driving this, ensuring the children get a good education so the atrocities of '94 are never repeated.

To address this, the curriculum has completely changed. The language of instruction is now English - a challenge for many adult Rwandans. Leaving Rwanda, I sat next to a lady on the plane and chatted the whole way to Nairobi. She was a proud Rwandan, who explained she had had to leave the country to go to university. Her whole schooling had been in Kinyarwanda or French but she was due to start university during the change to English. It was simply too hard to study for a degree in a foreign language so she had to go where her language was spoken. She now speaks impeccable English and hopes to visit England one day. She'd be more than welcome.

But this got me thinking about our teachers. Primary teachers are teaching in Kinyarwanda until P3 then English when their first language is likely French. The challenges are immense and I noticed many lessons not meeting their objectives due to the language barrier. Yet the teachers persevere and achieve good results. And, as with everything in Rwanda, they do all of this with a warm, wide smile.