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A Visit to Thomas Peters School
01/02/2010
Malcolm Harper, Johnny Sow's grandfather, was in Freetown during the time Johnny was helping out at Thomas Peters School. He visited the school and made the following observations:
I spent some time with Johnny at the school in the town centre, Thomas Peters, near the Cotton Tree, on Percival Street. I took a brief session with the top class myself, and I have hardly ever taught in more difficult circumstances. And I've taught through student riots in Kenya, and in unruly secondary schools in England (much worse).
The noise of all six (I think) classes in what is effectively one room made it very hard to involve the children, because I could not hear their answers to my questions. The lighting is poor, the blackboard (such as it is) was placed against the windows, it would not be a big deal at all to move it to the other side of the room, but the noise was the worst problem. This was the highest class, and at least it was in something vaguely resembling a separate room; the other five classes were all in the same big echoing hall, a tin roof, fibreboard ceiling panels mainly broken or missing, when it rains it must be even worse.
The teacher whom Johnny was helping, one Mr Kanu, a year away from retirement, was superb, a real soldier, great with the children, he seemed far more positive than the young women who were teaching the younger children. But with the noise, and no doubt the tradition, teaching is inevitably rote learning; teacher writes it on the board, children chant it, and then write it in their exercise books.
The playground outside is a dusty nothing, the toilets are I gather ghastly.
Thank you again, and best wishes.
Malcolm Harper
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