Tabaski and Education

November 7, 2011

Barka de Salla! Another year has gone by marked by the celebration of the Muslim holiday of Tabaski. What change a year can bring. I am now living in a different country and in a community of predominately Christians, rather than a community of 99% Muslims. Similar to Christmas in the states, everyone here, regardless of religion, pretty much celebrates Tabaski (hey, you get the day off). What I find interesting is how the celebration occurs. In Niger, the Muslims don’t drink alcohol, but in Burkina that’s apparently how you celebrate Tabaski (at least when you’re with a group of non-Muslims). Because Tabaski isn’t really celebrated in my village, I was planning to take it easy that day, but when I was invited to attend a fete in the next town over, I thought it would be good to go (especially since many of my village’s most prominent people were in the group). I imagined that we would be going to someone’s house to celebrate with them. Nope. Going to the fete meant going bar hopping. Quite bizarre.

Tabaski also marks the anniversary of the death of my friend Malika in Niger. My thoughts are with her and her family (my family in Niger).

November 12, 2011

Education in Burkina Faso is such a weird thing. First of all, the fact that it’s a privilege to go to school – even primary school! It amazes me when I walk around my village in the middle of the day and find children of all ages working and playing. Is it that they don’t want to go to school? Nope. OK, certainly for some that’s the case, but more often than not, these kids are not attending school because their families cannot afford to send them. The cost of tuition each year is 1 million CFA – roughly US$2. Some of these kids are so smart too! It breaks my heart to think that they are not going to school because of such a small amount of money- the cost of a notebook in the states. Of course, there is a larger financial picture, the cost of supplies (which is minimal), as well as the cost of lost income – but what price can you put on the stunted potential of these kids?

Once the kids get in the classroom, the situation becomes marginally better. I say this because the kids are more motivated than the teachers much of the time (which is not what I consider to be a great learning environment). Often teachers don’t show up or don’t actively involve the class in learning (not to mention the corporal punishment).

I am very lucky to work with a man who is quite possibly the most motivated teacher in Burkina Faso. He is truly dedicated to the success of his students. He works tirelessly to help them understand the information they need to move on to the next level of their education. I don’t know if this is the case in all classes, but I believe the students sense this and really strive to do their best. Whenever the teacher asks a question, nearly every hand in the class goes up. It’s a classroom, where it’s OK to ask “why”. This might sound insignificant, but the education system here is more about memorization than actual understanding.

Yesterday I sat with the class while the teacher was in a training session in the next town over. It was amazing, with no adult supervision, the students not only did their assignments (and behaved while doing them), but then corrected them as a class – with full class participation! I shudder to think of a 6th grade classroom in the states when the teacher leaves for five minutes – let alone all day! The students in school truly WANT to learn, I just wish they had more and better opportunities for success.