Quarterly Report Excerpt 2

Challenges

Well one challenge that I have had is the Ministry of Education itself. It is frustrating and difficult to understand how a ministry can expect to end a term one week early, shorten holidays by one week, and then have everything they require to be done on time.

Additionally, I find it ridiculous how school practice is operated. At my school we have our tutors divided into teams. Every day during the 4 weeks of school practice one team stays behind to teach the year one students. Now in an ideal world this would work. But at my school, and many schools, it doesn't. So we are double-booking teachers and the students suffer!

I digress.

Resource utilization at my school is a challenge. For example, I was going to investigate book aid for my school but then I discovered a room Full of Books! Full! This room was the old library that they hadn’t cleaned out in three years. When I went to the librarian to see if we could get all the books into the new library she said she only wants those that are not old and damaged! (An old book is still a good book!) Also in that same library we have Teaching/Learning aids that are still in their boxes! Clearly, resource utilization is now on my agenda.

Budgeting is also on my agenda, or at least trying to get my school resources on budgeting. We budget, then they don’t follow it, and then quite literally there is no more money. I won’t be handling money of course but at least attempting to get my school some assistance.

Another challenge is with my colleagues in the computer lab. First mistake, I haven’t sat down to talk with them about the potential I see in the computer lab. Second mistake, I haven’t talked with my school about where they want to go with their computer lab. Results, the two computer technicians have no idea what I am talking about and probably feel somewhat threatened that I am invading their space and could take their jobs. (Another Peace Corps Volunteer took over ICT at a school and they lost their jobs recently.)

But I am working on all of these. The key I think is communication. I complain that I my school doesn’t communicate with me but I am not much better!

Additionally, I think that some people do not take me seriously because I am a woman. I will be working on this too.