Scottish wisdom and high stakes testing

“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it into a fruit salad”
- Scottish proverb

Ok, so that’s not really a Scottish proverb, but Kirsteen (who is from Scotland) told us this little tidbit today. It also has really no relevance about today in Zambia, either. Although it does speak to what life is like in a house w/ a bunch of bored young adults and no TV. Earlier, the UK citizens tried to name as many US states as possible; they got about 45/50. That’s better than most US citizens. As I’m typing this, we are contemplating if we can shave the cat and not be accused of animal abuse. Let’s hope the satellite TV is repaired quickly.

Despite the lack of TV (and running water virtually the whole day), we are all in high spirits around Mushili Way. Today, Leah and I had our project inductions for medical and teaching projects. Mine was a quick 35 minutes; Leah’s lasted nearly 3 hours.

When I left the US, I expected to find an education system in Zambia unlike anything I was familiar with at home. While this is mostly true (and especially true regarding the conditions of the schools), one thing is constant: high-stakes testing! Here though, the stakes are raised even higher. If students do not pass their Grade 7 exams, many believe they will not get into heaven when they die. Talk about pressure!

Starting tomorrow, I’ll be working in a Grade 7 classroom and Mwandi Community School. In Zambia, there are community schools and basic schools. Basic schools are government run with trained teachers. They receive consistent federal funding, and students must pay to attend classes. Community schools, though, are run by local parents who want a basic education for their kids. The schools do receive minimal, but inconsistent funding. One term, they might receive $1,000, the next $10. Obviously, this makes for a great need for volunteers.

Before I head to the schools tomorrow, I got the chance to make bricks this afternoon. The simple sand and concrete bricks will later be sent to the community schools to make new classrooms or toilets. The work was simple, but very hard. The reward was being able to scribe my name into a soft brick that will be a permanent reminder of my time in Livingstone.

Well, my housemates are contemplating how much we can get for the TV at a local curio market. Right now they figure they can get at least a couple baby elephants. That’s how we make lemonade out of lemons, I guess.

Until later,
Zac