Learning from Schools Across the Globe!
This year I’ve had the true privilege of working at Hope Academy. That place deserves my highest praises for the work being done and the way it’s further formed me as an educator.
We’ve had a 2-day sprint in Rwanda of visiting the schools at Karangazi and Kamate, both of which are sister parishes with Redeemer (I think - I love the Anglican Church and do not understand all the terminology).
The nerd in me would love to note some basic differences between schools in the States and schools in Rwanda. Similar to European schools (as makes sense based on history), grade levels are ordered by nursery, primary, secondary, and university levels. Our version of middle schools are broken up between the primary and secondary levels. Testing is the means by which students pass onto secondary level, more focused senior level courses (somewhat adjacent to declaring a major), and eventually university. Moving forward in the education system is not a guarantee, resulting in long hours of study and much patience. The fortitude and determination these students exhibit during long “seasons” of study show how kids are sustained and marked by gratitude and joy in the day to day.
Obviously their philosophy and practices of education are much more complex than the snapshot I’ve received, but upon first glance I want to note a sense of abundance in the day to day routines of the classroom.
First: the amount of students in a class. A classroom equivalent to our pre-K class had 53 students. To 1 teacher. I’ve been working out how to care for 7 students, so to say my mind was blown by this is an understatement. I admired the teacher’s composure as she taught with both authority and a relaxed demeanor at the same time. Seeing good teachers in action remind me of God’s character and inspire me to grow accordingly.
Second: the vast amount of knowledge in each little mind and body. Standards of how to act and learn are high, and children love to rise to the standard set for them. For example, students are learning several languages, recalling math problems boldly, and giving each fellow a run for our money in dancing, singing, and playing fútbol.
Third: it truly takes a village to raise a child. Their philosophy of education carries a communal tone. Students exuberantly welcome and honor guests. The minds of each are being formed to think about the whole rather than the individual.
It is a joyous gift to enter the school grounds. It is even more joyful to know I am witnessing a partnership much larger than the one of us on the ground. The kids at Redeemer and the kids at Karangazi each have a banner of handprints from the other as a reminder of the communion of saints extending across the globe.
While systems can be messy, education is a gift. It was a beautiful thing to learn from fellow teachers and students in Rwanda.
With love,
Miss Peyton