African School Succeeds Against the Odds

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hJO4Zouuup37SUWRJ5FLW0OYCQuAD8TCMNC80

Since this is our last blog I decided to find an article that ends on a high note and that was a little hard to find. I found one article that was mostly positive, but as always there were some sad facts. There is a small Chiseka school on the outskirts of Malawi, Africa that is “overhauling” their education. They are doing this so that they can reach the UN’s goal of having every child enrolled in primary school by 2015. Chiseka is doing the better than the other districts when it comes to education. The article stated that “last year all 40 students in the eighth grade passed their exams and 30 did well enough to qualify for secondary school.” This is very good considering that in this country less than 30% of students finish primary school. Only one in two children does not finish primary school, and many do not go to school at all. I like that in the article it stated that their “aim is not to produce doctors or engineers.” Their focus is on teaching them to read, to be able to do enough math to get and perform a basic job, and also to write a check and balance a checkbook. Other factor that Chiseka is doing so well in teaching their children is that they make sure the teachers are qualified. However this also has a down fall, because there is a shortage of qualified teachers, the classroom size is very large. Teacher-student ratios are sometimes one to 200. The teachers are very motivated and resourceful, said Polina Mkhunga, who is the government's education advisor.
I know that it is going to be very difficult to meet the UN’s goal to have every child enrolled in primary school by 2015, but at least there are countries who are really putting forth the effort. I definitely believe that everyone should have the right to an education. I also believe that children should be enrolled in school. In order for them to get better jobs when they are adults they must have at least a basic education.