Pre-Overseas Experience with VSOAuthor(s): Robin JonesSource: Mathematics in School, Vol. 14, No. 3 (May, 1985), pp. 32-33Published by: The Mathematical AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30214006 .

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was delighted to receive a letter to inform me that a place had been found for me teaching maths up to 'A' level at a boys school just outside Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania. Once the posting had been confirmed by the Tanzanian Educa- tion Authority, I resigned my post in Richmond and started to make my preparations for working in East Africa.

Once the school year had finished and I had said my farewells, I had a few days to pack and then I was off to Bristol, for a residential orientation course designed to prepare trained mathematics and science teachers for work in the Third-World. The forty teachers on the course were going to a variety of exotic places all over the world. This get-together was an invaluable chance to share hopes and fears with other potential volunteers. The content of the course concentrated on two critical aspects of teaching mathematics and science in a Third-World country. Firstly, cultural and language difficulties were analysed and discus- sed and secondly the particular problems of teaching maths were looked at. In most of the countries that VSO sends secondary school teachers to the children are taught in English which in some cases may be their second, third or even fourth language. To meet the problems created in such circumstances we were given an introduction to the con- cepts of ESL teaching and the importance of using appro- priate, clear and concise spoken and written language to consolidate ideas was reinforced. An awareness of the problems caused by cultural influences and the reaction of volunteers to unfamiliar situations was examined through a variety of real life case studies. It was emphasised to us that we were expected to work within these cultural influences and to become involved in the local communities. Volunteers are encouraged to become a part of their local community and to work within it, and from talking to returned volunteers this is the main difference (and the greatest reward) from working overseas with VSO.

The second part of the course was more specific and concentrated on the problems of teaching mathematics in particular in schools in the developing world. The math- ematics syllabus of some countries, particularly at 'A' level, tends to be fairly traditional in content and the textbooks are not always up-to-date with current ideas and trends. Teaching in a foreign culture within such constraints, it can be difficult for the volunteer to make mathematics relevant and meaningful to the everyday life and experiences of the

pupils. Indeed, there can be a temptation to make maths remote and distant by teaching it as a set of rules to be rote- learned. A particular emphasis therefore was laid on the techniques ex-volunteers have successfully employed to make maths more relevant and enjoyable for the pupils. The opening of a "Maths Club" is usually received with im- mense enthusiasm by the children and provides an ideal opportunity to encourage informality and self-belief whilst doing mathematical problems. Games of a mathematical nature can also be extremely useful in breaking away from traditional teacher-pupil activities and thereby encouraging group work and investigational activities. It struck me that many of these problems were not dissimilar to those which confront modern mathematics teachers in this country.

Techniques of improvisation, of using raw materials, to construct classroom apparatus were also looked at and we were led through a workshop session in which we were shown various ideas and then given an opportunity to develop our own teaching aid. Together we suggested a basic tool kit for creating teaching aids which might prove useful in the classroom. The latent ability of some of the teachers on the course for developing simple but so- phisticated ideas from basic materials was quite amazing but also very encouraging - not only from a point of view of teaching mathematics overseas but also for teaching in this country. It made me very aware of the importance of looking at the things around me and considering the potential uses each one has in the realm of teaching maths.

The course was an eye-opener to the problems of teach- ing mathematics in Third-World countries but strangely for me, and many of my comrades agreed, I found that each problem we looked at had its counterpart in teaching maths in this country. Inevitably the course asked more questions than it answered, and produced endless discussion on the role of education in the developing world, but it was an excellent analysis of the problems of teaching maths and more importantly the potential use of one's own resources to get over them.

I took up my posting on 2 September having also undergone a two-week Swahili course. VSO may be a charitable organisation but from my first enquiry three years ago it has equipped me with a basic training to hopefully make my two years overseas as valuable and as useful as possible, not only to Tanzania but also to me.

rre-overseas Experience with VSO

by Robin Jones, VSO Ghana

Although I had always been aware of an organisation called VSO since my schooldays it was not until my final year at university that I found further details of it from the careers offices there. By this time I had decided to teach Mathema- tics and enquired about overseas posts, although I wanted to gain teaching experience in this country first.

Whilst training to teach and during my probationary year at a secondary school in Brighton, VSO periodically sent me details of overseas vacancies suitable for my qualifications and experience. I applied as a maths teacher in the Spring of last year and was invited to London for interview.

This consisted of two parts: an informal one-to-one interview during which I was questioned generally about my motives for applying, my family background and religi- ous beliefs; and a more formal panel interview which was concerned more with my appreciation of the problems of teaching in a Third-World country.

A week later I learnt I had been successful and that my papers had been sent to a secondary school in Nandom, North-West Ghana, which had requested a volunteer to teach 'A' level mathematics. Approximately six weeks later this position was confirmed and I looked forward to meet- ing other volunteers at a course for trained maths and science teachers in August at Bristol Polytechnic.

It aimed to consider some of the problems facing us teaching overseas, particularly the difficulties of working

32 Mathematics in School, May 1985

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Robin Jones, left, and Graeme Keslake, two VSO Maths teachers who are overseas in Ghana and Tanzania respectively.

with limited facilities and with students for whom English may be the second or third language. After an intense four days of lectures, discussion groups and meetings with returned volunteers this aim was certainly achieved via some excellent teaching and well-planned timetabling which allowed individuals to construct a programme most suitable to their needs from a selection of options centred around some compulsory lectures and talks.

Perhaps epitomising the vein in which the whole course was run was the introductory talk by the then director of VSO, Frank Judd. He outlined the history of the organisa- tion, its development over the years, the reasons why countries and governments request outside assistance as well as giving a very realistic appraisal of the problems to be encountered whilst abroad; loneliness, frustrations in the job at hand, illnesses and the difficulties in just day-to-day living.

Of the eight options with which we could construct our own programme three were specific to mathematicians, a bias which I did feel ran throughout the course. However, each of these was very interesting and provided some useful material to take abroad. For example, one unit dealt specifi- cally with ideas and examples of practical work and games in mathematics suitable for a range of abilities and which required the minimum of equipment. We were given a booklet of such games and ideas which could provide a basis for running a "Maths Club" as well as being used in lessons. I'm sure this will save much time in devising similar material.

Each of these units was run by a returned volunteer and so reflected many of the difficulties actually encountered, in particular the problems of teaching trigonometry and geometry where one is not surrounded by a multitude of real examples of right-angles, squares, rectangles, etc. In fact I was surprised to learn that even in the upper schools many pupils find great difficulty in copying a simple diagram from the board into their books or onto their paper (not necessarily rectangular!). A triangle on the board thus:

May well be represented thus:

There is often not the appreciation of the size of angles or the realisation that a right-angle has any "special" meaning that is perhaps inbred in our geometric western world.

Apart from the units for mathematicians we were con- stantly reminded of the written and spoken problems encountered by our prospective pupils. We were given opportunities to feel the humiliation and anger that arises when one does not understand what a teacher is saying or writing - a lesson was given in French, a language over which I have no mastery!

Examples of meaningless passages were given to us with some questions. The questions could be answered but did not enlighten us as to the material covered in the passage:

"Put two snats into a smiru linket with a trop speen."

(i) How many snats were put into the linket? - two (ii) How were they put into the linket? - with a trop speen etc.

I wish many of these methods of illuminating the problems encountered by pupils had been used on my own PGCE course as I found them very effective.

Between lectures and talks there was ample opportunity to browse through the selections of textbooks used in the countries we were going to as well as furthering our general knowledge of the countries via the maps, information packs and returned volunteers who attended.

Thus armed I left Bristol to return a week later for a country orientation course, the final briefing before flying to Ghana on September 11th.

VSO MORE SCIENCE AND

MATHEMATICS TEACHERS NEEDED FOR THE THIRD WORLD

There is a marked increase this year in requests for teachers of mathematics and the physical sciences recruited through VSO, the Third World development charity, which is currently looking for 600 peopl to fill these and other posts.

"An improved knowledge of maths and science is vital for countries wanting to foster the technical skills which are necessary for their longterm development," com- ments Doug Adam, VSO Maths & Science Educa- tion recruiter.

Requests range from countries such as Tanzania, where the programme of 'Education for Self-reliance' is hampered by an acute shortage of local teachers, to the Caribbean island of St. Lucia and Bhutan in the Himalayas. Most countries need trained teachers, although there are some posts for graduates without teacher training.

VSO recruits skilled and trained people aged 21-65 for posts in 40 less developed countries. They work for a two- year period and receive accommodation and a small al- lowance based on local rates of pay. Applicants should have no dependents though couples may be accepted if there are posts for both of them. Further details from the Enquiries Unit, VSO, 9 Belgrave Square, LONDON SW1 or tele- phone 01 235 5191.

;yso For details of returned volunteers available for interview, photos, etc:

Contact: Jane McNally, VSO Press Officer

Mathematics in School, May 1985 33

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