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Fiji Education Enrichment Programme 2013 Annual Report

GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

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Page 1: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

Fiji Education Enrichment Programme

2013 Annual Report

Page 2: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

GVI’s Mission Statement

GVI promotes sustainable development through research,

education and direct financial support through the creation of

global partnerships.

Fiji Education Program Goal

GVI aims to improve numeracy and literacy levels, aid physical and creative development and provide materials and

infrastructure that would otherwise be unavailable. The GVI Education Program endeavors to enrich the education

provided at these schools and broaden opportunities for its pupils in the future.

Who the program targets

173 254 26 Secondary

School Students

Primary School

Students

Teachers

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Page 3: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

2013 Overview 3

Training our volunteers 4

Ratu Meli Memorial School (RMMS)

Introduction 5

Role of Volunteers at RMMS 6

Progress in 2013 7

Goals for 2014 9

Navunisea District School (NDS)

Introduction 11

Program Development 12

Progress in 2013 13

Goals for 2014 17

Dawasamu Secondary School (DSS)

Overview 19

Assessing needs at DSS 20

Pilot Project 21

Supporting DSS in 2014 22

Final Thoughts 23

Contents

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Page 4: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

An overview of 2013 Looking back over the past 12 months, 2013 has been an eventful year that has seen the education

project grow and benefit even more students around Fiji.

At the beginning of the year, Ratu Meli Memorial School (RMMS) was faced with the dilemma of opening

its doors for a new term whilst simultaneously recovering from Cyclone Evan. The Cyclone had caused

widespread damage around the Yasawas and caused infrastructure damage to the school. Fortunately

RMMS received emergency funds from Australian AID and GVI were fully involved with the school

committee in finding ways to best allocate the funds. The donation was used effectively and quickly,

allowing the school to reopen on time for the beginning of term.

With the school up and running, GVI were able to focus on meeting the targets for the year. During 2013

GVI volunteers and staff worked to focus the one-on-one support program, helped to plant school

vegetable gardens, constructed composting toilets, as well as devised and used a new training program

for volunteers to ensure further effectiveness in the classroom. GVI also began contributing to teacher-

led professional development sessions.

By February, preparations were made to expand the education project to a new site in the Tailevu

Province. In May 2013 GVI started working at Navunisea District School (NDS) in the Dawasamu District.

Having run a pilot project the previous year, it was clear that an assistance program would be of great

value. Although on the mainland, this school is the most remote in the central division of Fiji which poses

a wide range of challenges. The school’s infrastructure and resources are limited and the students’

numeracy and literacy levels are in need improvement. Within a few months, the practices that have

proved successful at the RMMS project began to take effect at NDS and improvements to student

performance were clearly observed. The feedback from the local community and teaching staff has been

overwhelmingly positive and the next year promises to build on the success of the last.

A further development in 2013, for the GVI Education project was preparation for expansion in

Dawasamu Secondary School (DSS) in early 2014. After being approached by members of the secondary

school and requested to provide assistance, GVI undertook a one week pilot project to test

methodologies and learn more about the school.

Whilst secondary schools are new territory for GVI in Fiji, the challenges experienced are often very

similar to the challenges observed in the primary schools in which we have worked. The pilot project

incorporated many of our existing methodologies. As secondary schools deliver a greater variety of

subjects to their students, there is an opportunity for GVI volunteers to be involved with teaching

additional subjects.

Over the course of 2013, the GVI Fiji Education Project has expanded from one school to three and built

on the successes of previous years. The project methodologies have evolved to increase impact and

effectiveness in keeping with our long term goal, to expand our support program for remotely located

schools in Fiji

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Page 5: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

New Training Sessions Provided Classroom Management – Discussion Based Scenarios designed to identify common issues

in the classroom

Teaching New Language & Receptive Skills – A guide to basic Teach English as a

Foreign Language (TEFL) skills. Using simple examples and group exercises, to show how volunteers can aid students in improving their comprehension, vocabulary and speaking skills

Error Correction and Concept Checking Question – An introduction to interactive,

student centric methods of correction and concept checking. This allows volunteers to be sure that what they have taught has been understood and encourages students to problem solve and correct their own mistakes

One-on-one Tuition - A guide for developing one-on-one tuition sessions to meet the

individual needs and learning styles of the pupils

Task-Based Learning - A technique which allows students to work in pairs or groups, with an

emphasis on problem solving and discussion. The volunteers undertake the role of students and are led through a mock English workshop using these techniques.

Training our

Volunteers In 2013 the GVI Education team put more

emphasis on training volunteers to increase

their effectiveness in the classroom. GVI staff

comprehensively reviewed the work

undertaken by volunteers and elaborated on

the training program

Key areas addressed

Understanding the role of GVI volunteers

Basic TEFL Methodology

Classroom Management

Delivery of one-on-one tuition

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Page 6: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

Pupils attend RMMS school from four villages on Nacula island; Malakati, Navotua, Naisisili

and Nacula. Students from Malakati are transported by boat to the school each day. Whereas,

the 53 students, from Navotua and Naisisili villages board at the school from Sunday evening

to Friday afternoon as their villages are too far to travel by boat each day.

After two and a half years of working at RMMS, GVI has a clear idea of the strengths of the

program and of the benefits it brings to the school. GVI volunteers have contributed towards

enriching the level of education at RMMS in a variety of ways, through classroom assistance

and one-on-one tuition.

Over the course of 2013, GVI continued to receive positive feedback from the school

community at RMMS. The most consistent recognized impact of the program has been the

obvious improvement in the level of spoken English amongst the students. In addition, the

success of the one-on-one tuition program has been emphasized by the teachers to such a

degree that from the second half of 2013, it was decided that each morning there would be

designate time for these sessions.

Ratu Meli Memorial School

111 Pupils

8 Teachers

8 Classes

Age 5 - 14

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Page 7: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

Role of the Volunteers at RMMS

One-on-one tuition Assisting students who are furthest behind their peers

Individual Reading Reading with each student, one-on-one, at least twice a week to develop comprehension and phonics skills

English Workshops Interactive English lessons that incorporate speaking, reading and writing skills

PEMAC Physical Education, Music, Arts and Crafts lesson each week

Agriculture lessons Maintaining class vegetable gardens and short lessons on the nutritional value of different vegetables, as well as, how to care for the plants as they grow

Environmental & Health lessons Marine environment and conservation lessons every 2 weeks and weekly health lessons on specific topics

IT lessons Weekly lessons on computer literacy with Year 5 – 8 students

Professional Development Bi-monthly training sessions with the teachers to reinforce school wide initiatives;

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Page 8: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

WASH Improvements

As part of GVI’s goal to have RMMS recognized as a ‘Blue School’, in April 2013 GVI volunteers

constructed two composting toilets for the school. RMMS has a long history of water problems

that has prevented the school toilets from functioning properly. In 2012, parents of the 53 students

who board insisted that their children stop going to school due to the lack of functioning toilets and

hazardous hygienic conditions.

Following this incident, it became clear that there was a dire need to create a solution to prevent

the inevitable water scarcity during the dry season from affecting the attendance of the students.

Composting toilets presented the most logical resolution to this problem, as they do not require

water. The two composting toilets now serve as backup, so that during the dry season the flush

toilets do not have to be used when there is little water, thus preventing them from incurring any

damage. The solid waste generated from the composting toilets is securely stored for six months to

kill the existing pathogens so the waste is safe to use as fertilizer (EcoSan Club, 2010, Sustainable

Sanitation Practice: The ROSA project). The fertilizer will then be applied to banana trees around the

school compound. GVI volunteers also delivered lessons on the proper use of composting toilets and

how they function to each class.

In addition to the composting toilets, GVI also worked towards the ‘Blue School’ goal by installing an

additional Rainwater Harvesting system (RWH). The additional 5300L tank increased the drinking

water capacity to 35,300L at the school. GVI volunteers were also tasked with giving each class a

lesson on RWH and water conservation. The aim of these lessons was not only to reinforce the

importance of RWH, but also impart a sense of ownership over the water tanks, with the hope that

the students will assist in the upkeep and alert their teachers of any problems.

Progress in 2013

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Page 9: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

Promoting Nutrition In April 2013, RMMS designated a plot of land for the school vegetable

gardens. With the help of the students, GVI volunteers cleared the land

and planted eggplant, lettuce, Chinese cabbage, long bean, French

bean, cucumber, pumpkin, coriander, tomatoes, and chilies. Volunteers

and students worked together to nurture the vegetable gardens as part

of their gardening classes. To complement the agriculture work, GVI

volunteers delivered lessons on the nutritional value of the vegetables

and the importance of a balance diet. The vegetables that are harvested

are used to supplement school lunches, with any excess being sold to a

nearby resort to generate income for the school.

Classroom Based Assessments

CBA’s were introduced by the government in 2013 and presented a

new way for GVI volunteers to assist class teachers. As volunteers

regularly plan lessons for PEMAC, in 2013 they began assisting the

teachers with planning and carrying out CBAs for these subjects. With

the guidance of the class teacher, volunteers used the syllabus to

select a topic and make an assignment for the students to be

assessed on. GVI has received positive feedback from the teachers,

specifically noting that they would not normally have the time or the

resources to make a comprehensive and fun CBA for the PEMAC

classes.

Professional Development

Professional Development Sessions are a knowledge-sharing

platform, allowing teachers who have been to workshops on specific

topics to share their experience with colleagues. GVI has used these

sessions to strengthen the relationship between volunteers, staff and

teachers but also to deliver workshops with the teachers on topics

that they have requested. In 2013, GVI volunteers and staff

conducted a PD session on Microsoft Office and Task-Based Learning.

Progress in 2013

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Page 10: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

Strengthening the communication channels with teachers and committee members

Teachers being absent without prior warning, puts a strain on the other teachers and

volunteers. Consequently, greater communication regarding the teachers needs and GVI’s

concerns would help to reduce this issue. Communication between the school committee

and GVI staff could also be improved. In the past, the committee members have had limited

presence at the school and thus it has been challenging to ensure positive change.

Goals for 2014

Finding new ways to engage the students, ensuring that lessons are stimulating and to motive pupils to pursue tertiary education

GVI will work towards this by

Creating an IT syllabus (first quarter)

Developing an Extra-Curricular

Program (first quarter)

Create a Pen-Pal program (first

quarter)

Developing educational resources to

make lessons and one-on-one sessions

more captivating for the students

(ongoing)

Compiling successful volunteer lesson

plans to make a GVI lesson plan

booklet (ongoing)

Writing a children’s book relating to

life in the Yasawas (third quarter) 9

Page 11: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

D

Nutrition Friendly School Program

An ongoing challenge for the students at RMMS is the lack of nutritional value in their diet and

a lack of awareness on the importance of a balanced diet. While GVI began to address this issue

in 2013 with the creation of a school vegetable patch, in 2014 GVI aims to further awareness on

nutrition using the framework of the World Health Organization’s Nutrition Friendly School

program.

Facilitate and promote Water, Sanitation and Hygiene initiatives (WASH) GVI volunteers will address this by providing lessons &

awareness on the following topics throughout the year;

Oral hygiene (first quarter)

Hand-washing (first quarter)

Water Conservation (first quarter)

Access to Safe Drinking Water (first quarter)

Proper use of Toilets (first quarter)

Support the school WASH committee (on going)

Facilitate & promote a Clean Schools Program There is a lack of awareness about the harmful

effects of unsafe solid waste management

practices, such as, burning or uncontrolled

dumping

GVI will support RMMS in the development of

the following waste management initiatives;

Reduce, reuse, recycle (second quarter)

Up-cycling (second quarter)

Composting (second quarter)

Establishing and Environmental Committee (third quarter)

Goals for 2014

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Page 12: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

Navunisea District School first opened its doors in 1957. Since that time it has served the three

villages of Silana, Nataleira and Naisinu in the Dawasamu district of Tailevu by providing primary

education to successive generations of children. The school is located behind Silana village, with

six classrooms and an accompanying kindergarten

NDS has numerous difficulties that stem from it being one of the most remote and isolated

schools in the Central Division. The infrastructure of the school is insufficient for its needs; it

has eight classes but only six classrooms meaning four classes must be combined. This increases

the teachers workload and results in large classes learning in a small space. Furthermore, the

condition of many of the buildings is inadequate and the school’s toilet facilities are in poor

condition. The school lacks a library/study area that could alleviate some of the problems

caused by not having enough classrooms.

Despite this, the ability of the school committee to fundraise has been invaluable to recent

developments at the school and the dedication of the surrounding community is astounding. GVI

has been fortunate enough to begin an education project in a community that knows the issues

that need to be address and has the cohesion to help overcome them.

Along with the committee, the teachers, led by the principal Master Tom, work tirelessly with

the funds they have to provide the best education possible. Since the project began in May, the

relationship between the teachers and GVI has continued to develop and the willingness of both

parties to try new ideas and initiatives has been promising. As it stands, the working relationship

between GVI and the school community is strong with honesty and respect at its core.

Navunisea District Primary School

145 Pupils

8 Classes

6 teachers

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Page 13: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

.Program Development

Since working at RMMS GVI has constantly

evolved a program designed to meet the

needs of an under resourced, remote

primary school in Fiji. Using this program

as a framework, a support and enrichment

program has been developed to meet the

specific needs of NDS

Key Issues Addressed

Assistance required in large composite classes

Numeracy & Literacy Aptitude

Individual reading support school-wide

Remedial Support

Quality of PEMAC delivered

Access to educational resources

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Page 14: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

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Building a relationship with NDS During 2013 GVI has focused on building a strong, collaborative working

relationship with the school community. There is an understanding that

open communication channels are integral for positive change at the

school. With this in mind GVI have taken a number of steps to maintain

this productive working relationship;

Encouraging volunteers & teachers to discuss their ideas,

observations about the students and their project work so as

to inform and involve both parties

Participation in regular formal and informal meetings with the

Head teacher, to keep both GVI and the school aware each

other’s work

Attendance at all school committee meetings, to inform the

committee and wider community of GVI’s program

Implementation of end of the year questionnaire to seek

feedback from the teachers

One-on-one reading program for all students

The Fijian curriculum, and all formal examinations, are assessed in

English. As a result, any difficulty understanding the language can

affect performance across all subjects. The improvement of English

reading and comprehension skills are crucial for improving overall

performance. Thus, the primary focus of the GVI Education program

has been to raise English literacy levels at NDS

Emphasis was placed during volunteer orientation on the need to

read with each students individually at least once a week, to record

what was read, to test their comprehension abilities and to use this

time to get to know the students. The students are enthusiastic to

receive individual attention from the volunteers and both the

teachers and GVI have observed that the students are now more

confident reading, writing and speaking in English.

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Page 15: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

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Creative & physical development

through PEMAC lessons

Previously the facility for PEMAC lessons was

limited due to time and budget constraints. GVI

was able to bring a large range of Sport, Music

and Art resources as well as, enthusiasm to lead

fun and creative lessons. The impact of these

interactive lessons on the pupils has been

incredibly positive. Teachers commented that

drama and group work in particular, had

noticeably helped the children to express

themselves creatively and become bolder when

speaking in English.

Provision of educational resources

that would otherwise be

unavailable

As well as Sport, Music and Art equipment, GVI

has also provided a wealth of learning and

educational resources to make lessons more

stimulating for the pupils at NDS. The visual aids

and kinesthetic resources that the volunteers

have produced, are designed to support a variety

of learning styles. These resources have included

posters, board games, world maps, challenges

and flash cards.

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Page 16: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

Provision of one-on-one student support and

tuition to struggling students

The GVI one-on-one tuition program is now successfully integrated into the weekly routine at

NDS and provides essential support to pupils who are considered to be struggling across all

subjects. There are currently 44 pupils across the whole school receiving ongoing one-on-one

tuition in Literacy and Mathematics.

Pupils receive tuition from volunteers who are dedicated to helping them improve their

confidence and academic performance. The pupils have the opportunity to practice literacy and

numeracy skills during 20-30 minutes tuition sessions several times a week. These sessions are

tailored to meets the needs of individual pupils and usually include fine motor skills, phonics,

reading, grammar or spelling practice, as well as basic numeracy skills and word problems for

mathematics.

The sessions have an informal feel and are often related to a game or challenge, ensuring that

the pupils are relaxed and have fun whilst learning. After each session the volunteers complete

a short feedback form, recording the progress of the pupil and how responsive they were to the

activity. This information is then accessible to the next volunteer conducting one-on-one

sessions, which ensures that the pupils continue to build on their previous progress and that

any successful teaching techniques can be repeated.

The teachers of NDS have observed that the additional support given to the 44 pupils has meant

that they are no longer as far behind their peers. The Class 3 & 4 teacher commented that all

the pupils receiving one-on-one tuition in her class now have improved in reading and

mathematics. At the end of the academic year, 11 pupils had made such significant progress

that they no longer required the support of the one-on-one program.

In 2014 GVI will continue to provide one-on-one tuition for those pupils who require it,

delivering a level of support that could not previously be provided at NDS.

Progress in 2013

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Page 17: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

Establishing the ‘Clean School’ waste management

program

The existing waste management system at NDS was not sustainable and burning rubbish caused

the emission of black smoke and the release of harmful toxins into the school grounds. In 2013

GVI and NDS began looking for a long term and sustainable waste management system, which

could be managed by the school committee.

Teachers were introduced to the Clean School Program during a professional development

session led by GVI. During this session, GVI and the teachers discussed the opportunity to start a

sustainable waste management program in school.

To support the delivery of environmental education, GVI staff delivered a two-part training

session to volunteers. This training introduced the aims and outcomes of the Clean School

Program. Volunteers were then able to plan lessons for music, art and agriculture with a waste

management theme.

GVI volunteers delivered lessons and activities, which promote environmental awareness based

around the 3R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). The pupils, with the support of GVI volunteers, made

rubbish separation bins and promotional posters for each classroom. The staff at NDS

established an Eco Council and selected ‘Eco Warriors’ from each class, who monitor the use of

the separation bins.

The bins have been used to great effect. Any paper or card collected is mulched for composting

and flower beds, the plastic wrappers collected are given to the Silana Women’s Group to

support their income generation project, and all non-recyclables are collected for arts & crafts or

up cycling lessons led by GVI volunteers. The next step is to create a main recycling point at the

school in 2014 and ensure ongoing monitoring by the ‘Eco Warriors’. The final end goal at NDS is

to achieve a zero burning policy.

Progress in 2013

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Page 18: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

Continue to build a strong relationship with NDS and increasing collaborative

planning between the school and GVI

Develop existing initiatives, with a Primary Phonics reading scheme and

personalized learning tasks for the one-on-one support scheme

Increased diversity of teaching

styles & techniques

Rote learning is the main method of

teaching at NDS. Unfortunately this type of

delivery limits critical thinking and creative

development. It also does not support

different learning styles or allow pupils to

demonstrate their knowledge. GVI hopes to

continue to promote different teaching

methods through;

Supporting professional development

schemes

Providing teacher training workshops in

collaboration with other local schools,

including a basic computer literacy program

Promoting holistic learning experiences

through the provision of interactive play

resources for classes 1 & 2

Creating a GVI PEMAC book filled with

successful lesson plans. This valuable

resource will be designed to support new

volunteers and will be available to the

teachers

Goals for 2014

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Page 19: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

Infrastructure Improvements Much of the school compound is in disrepair and does not sufficiently meet needs of the school

community. This year GVI will focus on contributing to the school’s infrastructure in the following

ways;

Providing critical repairs to the school compound (First Quarter) - redecorating classrooms

to provide a stimulating learning environment, structural classroom repairs and ensuring

that every child is provided with their own chair

Constructing the GVI Education Centre(First Quarter) – Using funds raised by the

Charitable Trust, this building will act as a library, as well as a space for providing tuition and

storing educational resources

Providing the school with ICT facilities (Second Quarter) –. Sourcing donations in 2014 will

be a high priority for GVI in order to establish a computer literacy program for teachers and

pupils at NDS in 2014

Improving the school sanitation and water facilities (Second Quarter) – GVI aims to make

critical sanitation repairs to the inadequate toilets facilities at NDS. This will go hand in hand

with a school-wide WASH awareness program in the hope to alleviate underlining sanitation

and health issues.

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Page 20: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

DSS was founded in 2005 due to the lack of access to secondary education in the local area. Prior

to the establishment of the school, students leaving primary education had to take long journeys

or board in schools that were a significant distance away from their village. This created a problem

of transportation costs and additional fees for boarding. Therefore, establishing Dawasamu

Secondary school was of great benefit to the community and has already gone a long way to

alleviating these problems. The school is fed by four main primary schools: Dawasamu District School, Navunisea District

School, Bureiwai District School and Nakorotubu District School. Originally, the nine villages and

three settlements that make up the Dawasamu district sent their children to the school but over

the past seven years, six villages from the Nakorotubu district have also been sending students to

the school. Consequently, the school is of major importance to the 173 students and their

families.

During 2013 the GVI team was approached by member of the DSS School Committee and

requested to provide assistance to the students and teachers.

Dawasamu Secondary School

175 Students

6 Classes

13 Teachers

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Page 21: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

Key difficulties identified by DSS

Lack of proper study environment/equipment at home

An inconsistency in parental support/attitude towards students’ school work

Rural poverty and struggle

An insufficiently small playing area for PE classes and sport

A lack of teachers quarters

Implementing strategies that change the mindset of students from vernacular speaking to compulsory English speaking only

The changing behavior of students who sometimes take advantage of the “no corporal punishment” policy

Additional issues identified by GVI Insufficient numbers of computers to teach computer classes effectively

Inadequate toilet facilities

Insufficient numbers of library books

Insufficient and inadequate resources to teach PEMAC lessons to their full potential

A teacher student ratio of approximately 1:40 that prevents teachers from spending time on the most needy students

A lack of visual aids in the classrooms

A lack of teaching materials for students who require additional help

Large numbers of children arriving in Form 3 with low levels of literacy and numeracy which have a pronounced effect on their abilities to adapt to a higher level of schooling

AAAsssssseeessssssiiinnnggg nnneeeeeedddsss aaattt DDDSSSSSS

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Page 22: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

Pilot Project

For four days, beginning on the 21st October 2013, GVI worked at the school and focused on

assisting in Forms 3, 4 and 5. For each form, GVI had the following objectives:

Carry out one-on-one Mathematics and English sessions with every student recommended to us by the school

Take the lead in one agricultural science lesson

Lead a music and art lesson

Assist in Fijian family life lessons

In addition to achieving these objectives, GVI ran the Careers lessons for Forms 5, 6 and 7 and also

attended a variety of lessons such as basic science and social science to see if GVI could provide

assistance in the future. Each day was concluded with an informal feedback session as a group.

GVI shared lunch with the teachers everyday, which was a great opportunity for both groups to ask

questions and created a sense of teamwork. It also provided an opportunity to explain the

objectives of GVI and it encouraged the teachers to be forthcoming about the problems that they

faced day to day.

GVI was able to fulfill the week’s objectives and gain valuable information that will help when the

project begins full time in January 2014. In addition, even over short period of time, GVI was able

to demonstrate its value to the school community and begin to build a positive working

relationship.

Feedback from the volunteers was that the classes were manageable, although it was taxing

having a larger number of students to work with, on top of longer class time. It was agreed that

numeracy and literacy is a real problem for many students and it was noted that many of the

struggling students had language levels well below their years.

GVI noted the dedication of the teachers and the expertise that they had in their subject and felt

that this would lead to a positive working relationship between teachers and volunteers in the

future. Overall the pilot project reinforced the clear value of providing long-term support to DSS.

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Page 23: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

Supporting DSS in 2014

After the success of the pilot project and with the support of the

teacher at DSS, GVI volunteers will begin supporting the school at the

beginning of 2014. Next year presents a great opportunity for GVI to

assist in an under-resourced school that is striving hard to make

improvements, with a clear understanding of where the school is and

where it is going. GVI staff can now begin planning a project, with

concrete aims and methodologies to implement in the New Year.

Project Goals for 2014 Improving numeracy and literacy aptitude

Providing one-on-one support for struggling students

Enhancing creative and physical development by assisting in PEMAC lessons

Facilitating more hands-on learning in agricultural science lessons

Contributing towards Careers lessons with volunteers talking about their job experiences and

helping with interview preparation

Enriching Fijian family life lessons, by helping to inform students on issues to do with sexual

health, drugs, and relationships

Improving the school’s water security, ensuring access to safe drinking water

Improving the school library and computer stocks

Creating income generating projects for the school to be managed by pupils

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Page 24: GVI Fiji Education Annual Report 2013

In our mission to continue to support and enrich

the education provided in Fiji’s remote and rural

schools it has been a constant challenge to

utilize available resources and ensure that our

impact is sustainable, well integrated and

supportive of the national curriculum and that

our methodologies are constructive and

accessible in both the classroom and the

community. A major focus area for these school

based education enrichment projects have been

1-on-1 tuition and the development of an

auxiliary support system based within the school

facility for the support of individual students in

need of extra support. The integration of native

English speakers into the class room and the

support they are able to provide to class

teachers by helping with administrative duties,

assisting with classroom management, and

developing creative resources for activities to

enrich literacy and numeracy has been

productive and rewarding for all parties. In our

constant effort to improve our projects,

volunteer impact, and overall goal of creating

further opportunities for Fiji’s youth, the

program has focused on expanding our

involvement with the number of students and

schools we work with in 2014.

Final Thoughts

23