Volunteer Placement Profile Primary School Teaching Volunteer Maakro Metropolitan Assembly Primary School Kumasi, Ghana www.volunteerbasecamp.com Maakro Metropolitan Assembly Primary School Placement ID: 58 Country: Ghana Location: Kumasi Placement Category: Education Placement Type: Classroom Teaching Organization Type: School - Elementary Minimum Duration: 4 weeks Language Skill: Basic Placement Fee: None Accommodation: Host Family Only Months Not Available: Apr,Aug,Dec www.volunteerbasecamp.com Quick Facts: Placement ID: IND-58 Location: Kumasi, Ghana Sector: Education Category: Min Duration: 4 weeks Lodging: Language: Basic Job Description Maakro Metropolitan Assembly Primary School teaches children from approximately six to fifteen years of age. Due to the high enrolment of pupils it is necessary for the school to operate on a two shift system. Volunteer teaching assistants would be guided by a local teacher for the first week during which you would be directed on teaching techniques in Ghana. When and if the school staff determine that you are capability to teach independently, you would be assigned to a class of your own or it may be decided it is best for you to work in a classroom with a local teacher where you would assist the teacher in conducing the lesson. Volunteers will often be assigned to individual pupils who are in need of additional help, this may be because English is not their first language or because they have learning difficulties and require additional help understanding or completing tasks. You may also be asked to help individual pupils who do not require additional support, but where one to one teaching is necessary – for example listening to pupils read aloud. Volunteer teaching assistants may be asked to support learning in a more general manner by "floating" and acting as additional support during class activities or by working with specific groups of pupils. You may sometimes be asked to help support pupils beyond the classroom. This may be during lessons outside the classroom which may be within the school grounds or it might be during official school trips or at school events such as school concerts or plays. In these circumstances, your role is likely to become more supervisory. A volunteer teaching assistant at this placement does not need to have a teaching certificate or previous experience in teaching but must be a mature individual who is willing to participate in any of the numerous teaching endeavours. Any volunteer who is contemplating a career in the teaching field would obtain an unlimited amount of experience at this placement. It all would depend on the volunteer's efforts and commitment. Volunteer Tasks Required One on One Teaching One of the tasks of a volunteer teaching assistant may be is to do one on one teaching. It is obvious that not all the children in a class will have equal understanding of whatever goes on in class. This makes it necessary for a teacher to do some one on one consultations with students having a hard time in class and finding solutions to their problems. Some have slower learning abilities than others. Teaching Teaching is the basic reason for your going to the school so as a volunteer you would be providing teaching assistant to the students by: helping them better understand what was taught in class, giving them assignments and making sure they do it. It is one of the most efficient ways of finding out how much they understood of the lesson taught that day. Prepare Lesson Materials www.volunteerbasecamp.com Prepare lesson materials, bulletin board displays, exhibits and demonstrations for classes. A volunteer teaching assistant would be expected to discuss with the local teachers the lessons he/she has prepared for the week. Sport Activities Each class is entitled to two periods of physical education in a week, during this period is when the children get to do some sport activities such as soccer games etc. Volunteers may be asked to supervisor or instruct such activities. Supervison A volunteer teaching assistant may be asked to supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, gymnasiums or on field trips. Volunteers would be responsible for the children when the teachers are not around. The main task at this time would be to keep order and to keep the children safe. www.volunteerbasecamp.com Organization Details About the Organization Maakro Metropolitan Assembly Primary School is located in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, an area called Maakro. The school is a primary school that teaches children from approximately six to fifteen years of age. Primary schools in Ghana are supposed to teach children from the approximate ages of six to twelve years old. However, sometimes due to late school starts of children who's parents are unable to send them to school early due to financial problems or other difficulties; you will likely see children ages fifteen or even older sometimes in primary school. This is now considered the norm in primary educational schools in Ghana. Maakro Metropolitan Assembly Primary School operates on a two shift system due to their high enrolment of students. School starts at 7 am from Monday to Friday with the exception of Public Holidays. The older children from the age of ten and above, tidy the compound from 7 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. and then go to Assembly. Announcements necessary for the students attention are made at this time and afterwards the students march to their classrooms. Classes begin promptly at 8 a.m. The first school ends at 1 p.m. and the second batch takes over from then until 6 p.m. They have subjects such as: Math, English, Science, Reading, Writing, Art and Music (singing) in their curriculum. The school also has a strong focus on Health, Exercise and Extra Curricular Activities including a variety of after school programs. When the Organization was Founded Maakro Metropolitan Assembly Primary School was founded in the year 1980 by the government of Ghana. Before the school was founded, the children traveled for about 2 miles or more to and from school daily which was a real challenge for the children, especially the younger ones. The Mayor of the Maakro community had a meeting with its elders and its chief and decided that a primary school was necessary for the children of the community and the Kumasi region. How the Organization is Funded Maakro Metropolitan Assembly Primary School is a government school which is funded by the government. However, the amount of funding that the government gives to the school is not sufficient to adhere to all the school's financial needs. The school has therefore sought and obtained financial support from NGO's and other institutions to help in the successful operation of the school. www.volunteerbasecamp.com Placement Location Information Maakro Metropolitan Assembly Primary School is located in Maakro, which is a suburb of Kumasi. The area is one of the most popular areas in Kumasi because of the Suame Magazine, which is recognized as the largest artisan engineering clusters in the sub-Sahara Africa/ West Africa. Suame Magazine has a working population of over 200,000 and approximately 12,000 shop-owning proprietors, mainly engaged in vehicle repairs and metal works. The school has 12 classrooms which are well furnished, as well as an office and a staff room for the teaching staff and a room where school supplies are kept. The buildings are in good condition with walls and roofs so the students feel comfortable in the classrooms. The home stay is located just a five minute walk off the main road, and downtown Kumasi is easily accessible by taxi or tro tro. Anything reachable from Kumasi would be available to volunteers in this location. The school is just about 15 minutes tro tro ride from the main road Maakro. City Description Kumasi is the second largest city in Ghana and the capital of the Ashanti Region. The city is buzzing 24 hours a day, and is home to the large Kejetia Market. Traditional Ashanti pride is much more prominent in this area, and volunteers are likely to see more cultural dress and practices during their stay. Kumasi is a hub for travellers planning on going in any direction in Ghana, and has good transportation (bus or tro tro) to all major cities. Drivers in the city are aggressive and down town traffic can often be a challenge. However, all the suburbs around Kumasi are fairly close and walking, (if you're up for a bit of a hike), is never out of the question. The down town core has a few major tourist spots, (Vic Baboo's restaurant and Chopsticks), where you can always find good Western food. Points of Interest Kumasi is the capital of the Ashanti Region and the former capital of the Ashanti Kingdom - coming into power as a city in the 17th century. Kumasi is an important place for the Ashanti people and is still the seat of power for the King of the Ashanti people. Visitors to Kumasi can visit the former palace of the King that was used up to the 1950's. Kumasi was a key ally of the Dutch during the colonial days, but frequently battled the British who were ultimately sacked in 1874. Weather in the Area The dry season in Ghana is from September through March and temperatures generally range from 29-34 degrees Celsius. The rainy season occurs in April until August and is a bit cooler at temperatures of 19-20 degrees Celsius. As the name of the season suggests, rainfall increases dramatically throughout these months. It is generally not constant rain, but when it does rain, it usually pours..