allAfrica.com: Mauritius: Group work seen as best means to facilitate transition to primary (Page 1 of 1)

The first session of the induction programme for Std I teachers - to enable them to include the Bridging the Gap initiative - was held yesterday at Droopath Ramphul State Secondary School.

Teachers were explained how important it was for the children's future to guarantee their successful integration.

"The teacher must learn how to manage a classroom that is doing collaborative learning," said Santosh Kumar Mahadeo, the director of curriculum at the ministry of Education. He is the one behind the Induction Programme for Standard I teachers intended to prepare them to begin next year with the Bridging the Gap initiative. "Frontal teaching does not work and we have to promote sharing values in education," he added. This programme will be held in each zone during this week to equip all standard I teachers with the appropriate tools and skills to facilitate the transition between pre-primary and primary school. Group work is seen as one of the best ways of achieving this objective (see inset).

While the pre-primary sector is to undergo major changes with the Early Childhood and Education Authority that is to take care of the child between 0 and 8 years of age, the Bridging the Gap initiative, launched last year, is seen as the "precursor of this major initiative of looking after the child from 0 to 8 years," for the minister of Education, Dharam Gokhool. "In a life cycle the 0-8 age group lives a crucial period of brain development. A highly stimulating environment has a direct effect on the quantity and quality of connections made by the brain," he added in his address.

"On his first day at primary school, the child is very scared. As a teacher, you should create a familiar environment and develop trust," said Shakuntala Panyandee from the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE). According to Premilla Gukhool, the director of pre-primary and primary sectors at the ministry of Education, the main problem until now has been the fact that the "child loses his/her individuality because of a lack of accessibility and attention from the teacher" when he enters primary school. This is why it is so important to "build a relationship based on trust with pupils to give them the basis on which to learn," she added. This is why the welcome is so important just as he eye contact and the fact that pupils do not fear their teachers.

Simple liitle actions teachers tend to forget

The Bridging the Gap initiative has been set up only to remind these simple little actions that teachers sometimes tend to forget. "If all teachers were making this little effort during the first quarter, then their job would be easier for the next three years - just as it would facilitate the children's adaptation to school and their ability to learn," she pointed out. Minister Gokhool also made it clear, "A good start at the beginning of primary schooling secures the child emotionally and guarantees his successful integration".

Addressing the teachers present, he also underlined that "it is you who have to abandon the comfort zones that make you feel that you have to teach in the same way year in and year out". Bridging the Gap was not fully understood by all teachers when it was first introduced last year and this programme was actually aimed at bringing it closer to teachers so that they can apply it in their teaching methods.

The director of curriculum explained that, although main subjects such as Mathematics, French or English for instance will continue to be taught as such, other fields like Human Rights, Arts, Science or Health will be conveyed through these subjects. The lesson however has to be planned so that the teacher is well aware of what pupils will learn.

So, teachers have been working in groups during this induction programme to share experiences and achieve better ways of making children learn in a more effective way. The psychomotor and affective aspects are of course also part of the programme.

In the new programme prepared by the ministry, the curriculum has been divided into five main domains. "The child will have opportunities to learn languages and mathematics through media he is familiar with. There will be time for oral work reading exercises, writing exercises. But the teaching must be different. You must help the child unlock his potential so that he is not left behind. Your responsibility will also be to detect in learners developmental problems," the minister of Education emphasised.

He also pointed out, "we are completing infrastructure development in all Standard I classes ( ). The layout of the Std I classes has changed to make the child feel that there is a smooth transition fro pre-primary to primary. This new layout dictates the application of a new pedagogy which promotes interactive teaching, group work, the exposure to ICT as an assistance to learning".

Shyam Reedha, from the Pre-School Trust Fund, explained how the set up of a classroom could facilitate learning. A different set-up can bring creativity into methods of teaching. Covering walls with colourful pictures makes the classroom more lively. Putting up curtains can create a cosier atmosphere that makes the child more comfortable. "With the same furniture set out in a different way and the same teacher, teaching can become more effective," he made it clear. The most important thing to remember is that the classroom must remain "safe". "The teacher should also be visible and have a control over pupils and be accessible to them," he concluded.

BENEFITS OF COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

Group work appears as one of the best tools for breaking the ice between teachers and pupils. It helps pupils to get to know each other and teachers as well. However, much planning is required to reach the real objective of working in peers. "You may have learnt the theoretical part of it at the MIE but it takes time to implement it and you should not give up if you feel lost during the first days at school," explained Shakuntala Panyandee from the MIE. The way the teacher divides pupils into groups, the materials used, the roles assigned to each of them are all aspects that must be taken into account. The objectives of the lessons should also be clearly set out, as the academic side is as important as the social skills developed (sharing, respect others' ideas, challenge ideas or helping each other for instance). Of course, there may be a lot of constraints including the number of pupils and the size of the classroom but a little bit of creativity from the teachers should be enough to solve the problem.

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