SMS Story project research in Simbu province
I know I have lead a very fortunate life in many ways but
last week was a passage in time that revitalised my faith in the human race and
left me at one with myself in a way that I have not been for some time. The
untouchable warmth I have inside will not be stolen away easily.
Simbu province is situated in the magical mountains of PNG
where belief in spirits and sorcery is strong and clan feuds and retribution
justice are common place. The people are physically strong and mentally
determined and life is mainly lived at subsistence level. Fertile soil and a
temperate climate ensure there is no shortage of food and rich coffee to
challenge the world’s best grows freely.
It was in this environment that I arrived in Kundiawa with
the SMS Story research team; team leader Marshall, research assistants Elaine
and Willie, Simbu elementary education standards officer Mary and driver John
Jericho. Originally I was using the opportunity of a VSO project going into the
Highlands to visit rural Elementary schools as a chance to see the schools and
talk to the Elementary teacher trainers who work in the field; however after
the story writer on the project became sick I became more involved in the
project itself. The aim of the project
is to see if children’s reading levels can be improved by using mobile phones
to deliver language lessons to teachers. Each day for two terms teachers in active
schools in the project will receive two text messages: one will be a story and
the other a lesson plan.
Our mission was to establish a baseline by testing the
reading ability of a sample of children in both active and control schools and
to introduce the project to the teachers explaining the process and modelling
how to use the text messages in the active schools.
It soon became clear that I would be best employed interviewing
and training the teachers. The children were fascinated by me and did one of
three things; giggled hysterically, stared in disbelief or crowded round me so
close I could hardly move. Not really effective responses for an accurate
reading performance. The reading assessments were left to the PNG researchers.
In every school the first thing we did was held a meeting
with the parents and teachers. This was led by Mary the Standards Officer who
introduced the four of us as the boss man, the white woman, the young one and
the rasta man: completely accurate descriptions but not necessarily ones I
would have used!
I was blown away by the parents in all the schools and these
meetings were a truly humbling experience. Most families in the rural areas of
the province live a challenging life at subsistence level and yet they totally
understand and are committed to the education of their children as the way
forward for their community. We were welcomed with excitement and gratitude in
all schools and the way this was expressed was through food!
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