[Currently playing: Toni Braxton 'Unbreak My Heart']
MORNING
At breakfast I still had not been bitten by a mosquito. I contribute this to the obsessive bug lotion purchasing I did at Whole Foods last week. Of course I will eventually get bitten, but so far I was winning the war. My bug lotion smells like cedar and citronella so everyone knows when Mariam is walking down to breakfast I'm sure. I also found out that mosquitos dislike the smell of peppermint and lavender--so all the products I brought on the trip that go on my body in any form (shampoo, conditioner, soap, hand sanitizer) they are all in those fragrances. Maybe I over did it? Maybe.
On this day I only ate corn flakes for breakfast and many cups of nescafe. That was a mistake b/c it was not enough food to properly digest the malaria pill and made me a bit dizzy for what would turn out to be a 4-hour workshop session in the hotel conference room dedicated to the Ghanaian Educational System and the Ghanian Teacher Union.
AFTERNOON
The workshop began at 9am and went until lunch at 12pm. I say this because around the world people lack the attention span (grown or child) to sit for that long and listen to just about anything. But I found the talk very interesting because the facilitator of the discussion, another representative from UNIDPM whose name was Chris, told us everything we needed to know about the history of schooling and education in Ghana from before the slave trade to just after and what would be considered contemporary education that seems to fluctuate every 5-10 years with drastic changes in school structure and policy for both students and teachers.
I discussed many of the similarities and differences in the previous blog post from the chat at the U.S. embassy, but I will briefly summarize a few points worth noting. A lot of this will come up again in other meetings with other teachers.
DRESSMAKER
Ophelia called up a lady she knew who made customized dresses for the group that came to Ghana last year. She came with a variety of fabric swatches and posters of all the latest fashions. About half of us had our measurements taken, picked fabric, and chose a design for a dress we will retrieve at the end of our trip. I designed mine myself because I am the group diva. We'll see if I pulled of fake fashion designer or no by week's end.
While taking my measurements, "You have big hips." Yes, I do. I think I've found my hip sisters in Ghana.
ART CENTER
The art center means the market with means the souk which means a lot of people and if you have not mastered the art of bargaining in a foreign country you're screwed. Maybe you have mastered the "show me later" and fast walk passed booths, then you should be fine. I lasted 30 minutes and then had to leave. I did not come out unscathed. I made some purchases from a man who claimed to be an artist and another who claimed to be a woodworker. But I'll never know for sure if they are just fantastic storytellers. Talk about narrative exploration.
LA BEACH
That is the name of the beach. We trotted around in the sand for a bit and then walked back up to the restaurant above the water to grab drinks. The beach was nice, but there was a lot of trash and tires on the sand. The other side of the Atlantic is very warm. That was neat. When we got back to the restaurant a few of us ordered the cider. Ghana makes their own alcoholic cider and it's delicious. It's not as sweet as the cider back home so won't give you a headache if you drink two. Or three.
DINNER
This night we went to a popular center where three cuisines were offered: Spanish, Thai, and African. I'd have eaten more Ghanian food, honestly, but the majority wanted Tapas (even the Ghanians!) so I went with what the cool kids were doing. And I'm glad I did. Not for the food, though the tortilla was tasty, but for the conversation I was able to have with our U.S. teachers and Ekem and Ophelia. The part of the trip that has been the most influential in my view of the country is speaking to people from the country. I could just sit and listen to stories all day. It's so nice to be able to have people as representatives from another culture just around you al day to ask questions, bounce thoughts off of, and add to the color-by-number picture I am painting in my mind of the country of Ghana.
[Some stories from that night I've already weaved into different posts and I will continue to do so where it makes the most sense.]
MOSQUITO TALLY
returned back to the hotel and lo and behold those little jerks bit my knuckle and lower leg.
Count: 2
Nanti ye (Goodbye in Twi)
MORNING
At breakfast I still had not been bitten by a mosquito. I contribute this to the obsessive bug lotion purchasing I did at Whole Foods last week. Of course I will eventually get bitten, but so far I was winning the war. My bug lotion smells like cedar and citronella so everyone knows when Mariam is walking down to breakfast I'm sure. I also found out that mosquitos dislike the smell of peppermint and lavender--so all the products I brought on the trip that go on my body in any form (shampoo, conditioner, soap, hand sanitizer) they are all in those fragrances. Maybe I over did it? Maybe.
On this day I only ate corn flakes for breakfast and many cups of nescafe. That was a mistake b/c it was not enough food to properly digest the malaria pill and made me a bit dizzy for what would turn out to be a 4-hour workshop session in the hotel conference room dedicated to the Ghanaian Educational System and the Ghanian Teacher Union.
AFTERNOON
The workshop began at 9am and went until lunch at 12pm. I say this because around the world people lack the attention span (grown or child) to sit for that long and listen to just about anything. But I found the talk very interesting because the facilitator of the discussion, another representative from UNIDPM whose name was Chris, told us everything we needed to know about the history of schooling and education in Ghana from before the slave trade to just after and what would be considered contemporary education that seems to fluctuate every 5-10 years with drastic changes in school structure and policy for both students and teachers.
I discussed many of the similarities and differences in the previous blog post from the chat at the U.S. embassy, but I will briefly summarize a few points worth noting. A lot of this will come up again in other meetings with other teachers.
- There are 11 Ghanian languages used in school (including English, the official language of Ghana) and there has just been a shift in including teaching of the local language back into schools. It was pulled out for previous generations and that is why you find Ghanians in their 30s and 40s who do not speak much of their local language today because it was pulled out of the textbooks in favor of English.
- In the pre-formal educational system of Ghana people were educated to perform a trade. The elite were sent to the Chief's palace to acquire language training.
- When the whites came they needed clerks to help them with trade so that was then established as the next form of educational training for local Ghanians. What the merchants want the merchants got in the form of well-educated locals to keep their trade records.
- Soon white men started sleeping with black women (I don't remember why I took this note, but it is now glaring at me from my binder paper. It must have been a significant point for some reason related to clerical work, but now I do not recall.)
- When the missionaries came they needed educated people to spread the gospel so they fought for more formalized education and Ghana and began to build schools to teach reading, writing, and the word of God.
- "Payment by results" has been around since before Michelle Rhee. Teachers have been blamed for student performance since people could put blame on others. You're not original, Mrs. Rhee.
- Public education is free, but students must pay for extras like books, sports, and music.
- The public schools are actually the elite schools in the country due to the missionary influence. Private schools are not necessarily better because they are private.
- The drop-out rate is high, especially for girls. Parents are also culprits as they will pull their kids out of school to use as labor around the house and if the family has a farm or business. Those are called 'drawn-outs'.
- Like stated earlier the mission schools today are not all that missionary. They just retain the old names and traditions since when they were established. Like Chris said, "Nobody teaches religious mathematics!" If moses walks on water for 3 miles...
- Group (not the west) v. Individual (the west) mentality is contributing to westernization of Ghanian culture.
- In sum, there have been many changes to the system [should high school be 3 or 4 years? should we have pre-school or not?] but education is seen as beneficial to those who pursue it.
- If you are a teacher of the year you are awarded a house anywhere in the country of your choice. Many other homeownership schemes are being put in place as incentives for teachers through the union.
- The union is becoming quite vigilant at looking for teachers who remain on the payroll but are nowhere to be seen in the school. That and other forms of corruption is an issue that the union is working on more than ever.
LUNCH
It was very hot and because of this I ate my daily helping of Jollof rice and disappeared. Because I decided to practice individual v. group mentality (choosing myself over being around others for the hour-long lunch break) I missed ice cream. Lesson learned.
DRESSMAKER
Ophelia called up a lady she knew who made customized dresses for the group that came to Ghana last year. She came with a variety of fabric swatches and posters of all the latest fashions. About half of us had our measurements taken, picked fabric, and chose a design for a dress we will retrieve at the end of our trip. I designed mine myself because I am the group diva. We'll see if I pulled of fake fashion designer or no by week's end.
While taking my measurements, "You have big hips." Yes, I do. I think I've found my hip sisters in Ghana.
ART CENTER
The art center means the market with means the souk which means a lot of people and if you have not mastered the art of bargaining in a foreign country you're screwed. Maybe you have mastered the "show me later" and fast walk passed booths, then you should be fine. I lasted 30 minutes and then had to leave. I did not come out unscathed. I made some purchases from a man who claimed to be an artist and another who claimed to be a woodworker. But I'll never know for sure if they are just fantastic storytellers. Talk about narrative exploration.
LA BEACH
That is the name of the beach. We trotted around in the sand for a bit and then walked back up to the restaurant above the water to grab drinks. The beach was nice, but there was a lot of trash and tires on the sand. The other side of the Atlantic is very warm. That was neat. When we got back to the restaurant a few of us ordered the cider. Ghana makes their own alcoholic cider and it's delicious. It's not as sweet as the cider back home so won't give you a headache if you drink two. Or three.
DINNER
This night we went to a popular center where three cuisines were offered: Spanish, Thai, and African. I'd have eaten more Ghanian food, honestly, but the majority wanted Tapas (even the Ghanians!) so I went with what the cool kids were doing. And I'm glad I did. Not for the food, though the tortilla was tasty, but for the conversation I was able to have with our U.S. teachers and Ekem and Ophelia. The part of the trip that has been the most influential in my view of the country is speaking to people from the country. I could just sit and listen to stories all day. It's so nice to be able to have people as representatives from another culture just around you al day to ask questions, bounce thoughts off of, and add to the color-by-number picture I am painting in my mind of the country of Ghana.
[Some stories from that night I've already weaved into different posts and I will continue to do so where it makes the most sense.]
MOSQUITO TALLY
returned back to the hotel and lo and behold those little jerks bit my knuckle and lower leg.
Count: 2
Nanti ye (Goodbye in Twi)
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