Mi’ bribi ini yu! 'I believe in you!’ That is the message the Ministry of Education and Community Development (MOECD), Unicef and VVOB wish to spread to the children, as well as to their parents, tutors and head teachers. Together they want to work towards a better educational system in Suriname.
Every child is unique. Every child has talents from an early age. These talents allow it to blossom like a flower into adulthood. A powerful learning environment and activating didactics can be the breeding ground for their development. Convinced by this idea, the educational innovation movement wishes to root in firm ground. I experience my internship as an opportunity to learn. Theoretical terms which I have never quite understood during my course, become clear throughout the training sessions.
Training sessions on ‘activating didactics’
The ‘activating didactics’ training sessions are very pleasant to attend. Education in Suriname is traditionally quite classical and theoretical. Through its training sessions, the ministry of Education, together with VVOB wishes to introduce another learning path; one independent of the number of class participants or the budget at hand.
Practical exercises, dialogue and debate have taught me a lot. I just love the enthusiasm among the participants and I wonder if training sessions in Belgium will be like this when I become a teacher.
OS Balona – my internship school
Miss Ruth and the head teacher, both on the team of my internship school, also attended the training sessions. They teach all they have learnt to the rest of their school team – it is somewhat like a teacher's training in Belgium. As an intern, I am also invited to take part in the training sessions. It's a unique experience. Miss Ruth has festively decorated the classroom. The team of teachers and I admire a room filled with learning corners and didactic materials. An example of activating didactics clearly starts with the space itself.
Soon, the bottleneck of the training becomes clear. ‘How will I manage to introduce this many new terms at once in my class? Is there enough room for this kind of innovation? Will it not stress the pupils out?’ Miss Ruth and the head teacher reassure their teacher team: Rome wasn't built in a day. Innovations take time.
Despite the doubts, everyone seems to think a great deal about the new future of education. Teachers talk about their own experience through stories of successful classes they had. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to receive this instructive training as an intern. It is very enriching to gain these experiences here in Suriname. I will return home with lots of memories.
I am thankful that I can dream along now.
M’i bribi ini yu! I believe in you!
Lize Paesen
Intern in Suriname
Lize's blog: http://lizepaesen.blogspot.com
Translation: Michiel De Mylle
