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8 Apr 2011 16:06:53
Six tutors and a dozen student teachers from the University of Bedfordshire are flying out to Malawi before Easter.
They are teaching English, Maths, Science and PE to 150 primary teachers in a village called Dedza. They will also focus on health and Life Skills to raise awareness about the dreadful consequences of AIDS and HIV.
The Faculty of Education, Sport and Tourism, which is based at the Bedford campus, was awarded a £20,000 grant from the British Council to support Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to teachers in rural Malawi, in partnership with St Joseph’s Teacher Training College.
Staff members Chris Rix, Paul Gardner, Irene Wooldridge and former Pro-Vice Chancellor and Dean Kate Jacques fly out tomorrow (Saturday, 9 April) from Heathrow, accompanied by six Primary Education students – Sophie Birch, Charlotte Harris, Ilona Isoaho, Cherma Meredith, Holli Smith and Laura Tinkler. The students have spent the last two terms raising funds to pay for their flights.
Flying out a few days later will be staff members Mark Bowler and Paul Sammon, along with half a dozen of their PE students – Mark Burrows, Jennifer Dawson, Dan Grindrod, Liam Hall, Megan Plackett and Steph Coe.
Professor Jacques said: “As well as our Primary students teaching English, Maths and Science and PE students their own subject, both groups will be delivering Life Skills for the first time. Life expectancy is around 49 years due to the high incidence of HIV. Medication is now more widely available and teachers need to make the population aware of this.”
All those flying out from the UK have to take precautions such as daily malaria tablets while they are away and for a week on their return.
Students have also had to raise their own money – more than £1,000 each – to pay for airfares and accommodation and fundraising initiatives have included sponsored runs and swims, cake stalls, cocktail parties, quiz nights and even Zumba dance classes.
A recent barn dance at Bedford, which included an auction, raised more than £1,500 and this money will be used to buy resources for the project.
St Joseph’s sent over a trio of visitors to the University on a 10-day study trip before this return visit to Malawi. They were its Principal, Sister Elizabeth, who was accompanied by colleagues John Kunkumbira and Felix Thomo as they visited local schools and some tourist attractions as well as observing sessions at the University.
Professor Jacques said: “The focus of their visit was to understand how we train teachers in the UK. Training in Malawi is very short and many teachers are not trained at all. We shall be working together on finding effective ways of teaching very large classes, often up to 250 in one class.”
Kate, who wrote the bid and is co-ordinating the project, went on a planning trip with two staff members, Gardner and Rix, to the African country in September 2010 when the trio met prominent politicians who are supporting the project.
Top photo: The visitors from Malawi with those who are going out to Africa before Easter along with the Vice Chancellor, Professor Les Ebdon CBE, and Harry Wang, Director of the International Office
Middle photo: Former PVC and Dean Kate Jacques (far left) with the current Dean of the Faculty of Education, Sport and Tourism, Professor Marilyn Leask, with the Malawi visitors
Bottom photo: The Vice Chancellor, Professor Les Ebdon CBE, welcomes the visitors from Malawi
