Yesterday I learnt there is a private boarding primary school in Gulu where the children in P7 (year 6) get three hours sleep at night. They wake at 4am and begin lessons at 5am (I spoke to one of the teachers who taught from 5am). They have three practice exam papers a week which begin at 10.30pm. These exam papers often go for about two hours. Then the children can expect to get to sleep by 1am. That, to me, is a form of child abuse (or more aptly, torture). This is a relatively new private school and this is their first P7 class to sit for national exams. There is enormous pressure for this school to perform well… but torturing them to get there?
READ for Life
Photo gallery
Dan, Myron and Jody
Earlier days and happier times with these pigs… before swine fever.
Our brave Myron!
A demonstration lesson with P1.
Jody with P1 class teachers and the lovely P1 class (not all 142 present, but many of them!)
Our first set of published phonics readers!
Look who found a big rat!
School classroom built from church ruins.
Always a teacher… helping out children with some extra homework during a teaching visit to South Sudan.
A P1 pupils’ written work on a slate during a phonics lesson.
Dan and Myron on the road…
Teacher training…
Dan, JB and Bear.
Children putting into practise what their teachers have learnt – practical activities!
Jody teaching student teachers at the local Primary Teacher’s College about how to read aloud
On a refreshing weekend away to Sipi Falls.
Jody sharing at the local primary teacher’s college on reading fluency.
Sharing some laughs over reading games.
Dan and Myron after a bike ride.
Joanne and Dan
Hippo’ing around at mini golf.
Using local materials for teacher training…
Anyone for a game of football? There’s no electricity in this village in South Sudan but there is a generator and football hall – what more do you need?
Dan and Myron at Fort Porta.The Recreation Project
Dan and Jodes... in Gulu, Uganda 