Development projects -> Tung Teeya School

Nursery school in Kukuo

Background

In 2004 CID-Ghana started its first development project, a nursery school between two small villages, Kukuo Yapalsi and Tampe Kukuo. CID-Ghana was approached by village representatives with their need of a nursery school. In Ghana children always attend nursery before they can start first grade and the young children of this villages had no possibility to walk as far as to the closest nursery. CID-Ghana and the people of the villages with the help of volunteers, put up the school building during the summer 2004 and in August 2004 the children were ready to start.



CID-Ghana is cooperating in this project with the Ministry of Health who use the school as a nutrition centre in their mission to provide the children below five years of age with one meal a day. The women of the villages take turn to cook for the children who can eat at school two times a day.

Progress

Since 2004 the school has proceeded and developed and today the school is running smoothly with 200 young pupils in three classes. The school has two teachers divided on the different ages of the children and is led by a dedicated head teacher.

Today the school is moving on well as a result of the good work of the head teacher and his experience. The school is kept neat and tidy with materials well arranged and in order. The enrollment has increased within the last four months by 13 more admissions.
The toilet of the school is now completed and inspection made to that effect. Though the contractor sadly did not do the best of work, it's ready and handed over to the school head teacher for use.
Apart from the two teachers, there will be a CID French volunteer in July 2008 to assist in teaching at the school.

The people of the villages want to extend the school to also include a little bit older children. As it is now there are not too many schools in the area and the children have to walk very far. This might be a future project for CID-Ghana.


Report Sibrenne Wagenaar from her time at the school when starting up in 2004:

"At the moment, every day between 60 and 80 children in the age of 3 to 6, go to the school. They learn English songs, writing, counting with stones and other materials. They play together, and they get healthy food twice a day. The school is combined with a nutrition centre, to make sure the children of both villages get enough nutrition, vitamins to grow and develop. The two villages are involved in the school project, by having a school committee, providing teachers, taking care of the building and providing 'cooking ladies'.

A normal school day...
Half past seven in de morning. A stream of children walk to school. On a beautiful road of red soil. On flip-flops or bare feet. A bowl on the head and a stick in the hand. The bowl is for breakfast and lunch, the stick as firewood for preparing the food.

Children who arrive at school are asked to sweep the floor. The container for drinking water need to be cleaned, wash basins with soap-water should be arranged, and the furniture (tables, benches, school boards and mats for on the ground) needs to be put in the two classrooms. A lot of work before the school is ready to start!

When it is half past eight (sometimes a bit later…), the assemble starts; an important morning ritual in the Ghanaian education system. The children organise themselves in rows and sing songs like the Ghanaian country song and the Our Father. The assemble ends with the song 'we are marching to our classes' …In this way the children run and roll into their class. Since a few months there are benches and tables. A beautiful blue colour, it looks very cheerful. Every morning it is a fight to get the best seat!



There are three teachers: Mary, Osman and Salgi. Mary works with the smallest children (3, 4 and 5 years old). Osman and Salgi share a group of children in the age of 5 till 7. Mary and Osman finished their secondary education and are waiting for the opportunity to make a start at the polytechnic. Salgi is a professional nursery teacher.

Often, the school starts with singing. Children love to sing. They learned a lot of different songs already. Songs with special movements like 'the lion has a tail'. But you might wonder whether they know what they sing. Probably not. Children are very good in repeating, listening to sounds, rhythms and remembering.

We introduced group work. Like the way children play and learn on Western primary schools…With a lot of guidance by the teachers and the volunteers it worked. The arrival of tables and benches made this possible. There is a place under a tree, where children play with wooden blocks. In a corner of the playground is some sand to play with. The children bake cookies, build compounds and throw sand to each other. There is a 'toys' room with cars, cuddly toys and other simple materials to play with. Children are having fun, develop themselves, talk much more with each other. This is so nice to see!

Some of these 'group work activities' are guided by older children from the villages. There are many children with the age of about 12, who don't go to school. Some of them are now involved in the school: helping, learning, playing and eating. This is working pretty well.

Beside this, there are possibilities to learn children how to draw. What you can do with some paper and pencils! Children learn to make writing movements in the soils, after that on the black board. Finally they get some piece of paper and a pencil… they like that very much! It is so special to take something home for the first time!



When it is about ten o'clock, children get porridge for breakfast. After that, the whole group is doing a group activity, called 'change your sign'. Then, back to the class. Until twelve o'clock: time for lunch! Some children eat at school, others take it home. The bowl on their head."