"Below is the latest newsletter from Sohm Schools Support, the African educational charity run by Northern Voices contributor and former co-editor of Rochdale's Alternative Paper, John Walker and his wife, Sandra. Full details of the charity can be found here: www.SohmSchoolsSupport..org.uk"
Most significant among the donations has been one we have received from Redbridge Rotary Club, for £250. The Club has been good friends of this charity, and we are always delighted to return, each year, to give them an update on life in the schools in Sohm, and to be able to show, quite explicitly, what their donations have funded.
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| Redbridge Rotary, significant donors to SSS. Thank you! |
Progress this year with the Lower Basic school
As
far as the Lower Basic (primary) school is concerned, this year we have
been delighted - with our partners from Jersey - to fund the complete
renovation of the outside toilet blocks of the school. We will publish
photos of the completed project when we receive them, but understand
from the school that the work has been satisfactorily completed.
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| Broken outdoor toilets at Sohm LBS - now refurbished - thanks to SSS! |
We also funded an internet router for the school. MaLamin Gibba, the school's deputy head wrote to say:
We are learning to use it and in time, we will come to know much about it and be able to use it in the best interest of the school and the pupils.
We
provided a much needed new printer scanner for the school. This enables
them to print their own materials rather than having to travel the 15
miles to the regional office in Brikama to get it done. MaLamin, again:
Having it eases all the hitches we were encountering in the previous years. This year we not only prepared and printed examination questions but we are also able to prepare materials we use in our administrative works as well as print schemes of work and lesson plans.
Perhaps
our largest, on-going commitment to the school has been to fund a
"homework club" for what we thought would be two hours a week, after
school, for pupils who struggle to get space or quietness at home to
study. So popular has this become, that it is now running three nights a
week, and is always packed!
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| Homework club, in SSS-funded refurbished library |
Most
of the staff live in the village, and they continued to operate the
scheme, on a voluntary basis, over the summer holidays, so that the
scheme did not lose momentum. We are obviously delighted by this!
In conclusion, MaLamin says a big than you to all our supporters:
"Can you just imagine how much you are doing for the school? The great work you are doing for the school cannot easily be forgotten. They are visible more so, everything you do is put in our records and filed. Therefore, the amount spent on cash power (electricity supply, which we also fund - having wired the school up two years ago) is all receipted and filed. At this juncture we have nothing but to say thank you to you and all those who supporting us through you."
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| Deputy head MaLamin acting as "patient" in recent SSS-funded First Aid training day |
Secondary school progress
The
school has benefitted from a major classroom extension building this
year - financed by our Jersey partners. And, splendid it looks too.
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| New Jersey-funded teaching block in Senior Secondary school |
Our
major contribution to the school - apart from our annual stationery
donation and the sponsorship of a number of poorer pupils - has been the
funding of "additional classes" available for ALL students, of one hour
per week in each of the core subjects of English and Maths, at the end
of the school day.
As
we have previously mentioned, progress in improving public examination
results for the school since our involvement, five years ago, has been
quite remarkable. The school has shot up regional league tables and
from being very much at the foot of these tables, it is now in the top
two or three of performers.
The
subjects where least progress has been made, however, has been in
English and Maths - arguably the two most important - certainly when it
comes to the jobs market.
Eighteen
months ago we set out ambitious plans to address this, but funding
(jointly with our Jersey partners) the "remedial" classes as they were
originally dubbed. They proved very difficult to get off the ground,
initially. Then, when they were up and running, the school - like all
others in The Gambia - was hit by the country's political instability
last December, and effectively closed for a month.
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| 75% attendance at voluntary, extra-curricular, SSS-funded additional classes in English and Maths |
So,
a second start was made this new year, and we are delighted to report
on progress. We are provided with monthly attendance sheets and progress
records - as part of our conditions for funding the scheme. These are
subject to spot checks and independent verification by our Jersey
partner's local agent in The Gambia.
The
results have been most pleasing. Although the scheme is entirely
voluntary and extra-curricular, average attendance at the classes has
exceed over 75% in both subjects in every month, bar one, since its
re-introduction.
The
subject teachers and the school's principal review overall progress
with the scheme each month and re-tweak it and set targets to be
reached. Regular reports go to the schools governors, who are delighted
with the scheme's effectiveness.
This
scheme has taken a while to come to fruition, but perseverance is
showing pleasing signs of success. The acid test, of course, will be in
next year's public examination results. We are crossing our fingers!
John
Walker 07954 153 305 Gambia stuff: www.SohmSchoolsSupport.org.uk
@GambiaSchools Forest Gate stuff: www.E7-NowAndThen.org, @E7_NowAndThen
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