Views Volunteer Service Overseas (VSO)
Nepal – Educating vulnerable youngsters in the wake of
an earthquake Retired Primary School Head, Ann Marcer from Devon, was looking forward to volunteering in Nepal with leading international development charity, VSO. She expected a challenge, but not one which would devastate the country. IWhen I retired as Head Teacher from Lamerton Church of England Primary School, I still felt I had plenty to give. In July 2013, I flew to Nepal to work with
Ann Marcer British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) Why Bett?
This month, BESA Director General designate Caroline Wright looks ahead to the world's largest ed tech show.
This month sees the annual arrival of Bett, the world’s largest technology in education event. Each year, thousands of educators from across the world travel to London to experience the incredible power
Caroline Wright
and value that this show offers to the education sector. So what is the draw of Bett for so many?
VSO as a Teacher Trainer on the ‘Sisters for Sisters Education Project’, which encourages girls - particularly from the rural areas - to attend school and stay there until the age of 16. During my two year VSO placement, I was based in the foothills of the Annapurna Mountains of the Himalaya.
Traditionally in Nepal, education is not considered necessary for girls. Boys are deemed much more important. Often at school, boys are allowed to dominate lessons and attract all the attention. In rural villages most families are subsistence farmers and grow all their own food. Many young girls eventually have to leave school in order to help at home.
‘Sisters for Sisters’ endeavours to change all that. Older girls, known as ‘Big Sisters’ - who have managed to finish their education - act as role models and mentors to the ‘Little Sisters’ (younger girls at risk of leaving school) to help them overcome difficulties. This is the power of people working together!
Gradually, I started to see this work bearing fruit. Girls’ school attendance rocketed and ‘Little Sisters’ were finally coming top of their class in their exams for the first time. This was great news! Evidence shows that girls who complete their education are more likely to educate their own children and have healthier outcomes. This is a good way of breaking the poverty cycle. But on Saturday 25th April 2015, any progress in Nepal’s education system, shuddered to a halt. A powerful earthquake rocked Nepal, killing more than 8,000 people and leaving thousands more homeless (BBC). The devastation was breathtaking. The homes of some of our ‘Big’ and ‘Little Sisters’ were reduced to piles of rubble and many classrooms became unusable. The earthquake was very frightening for me too - it’s difficult to predict how long it will take for Nepal to get back to normal. This is a huge tragedy for such a poor nation, already struggling to bring itself into the twenty-first century.
VSO offered me repatriation, but I decided to stay as there was much work to be done. Immediately, I was able to help assess which schools in the area needed temporary classrooms to enable lessons to continue. During my visit to the Alatchi Primary School, located high in the hills, the Head Teacher broke down in tears as he showed me his damaged classrooms, asking; “How can we give these poor children an education now?” Within weeks, VSO began to fund the construction of temporary classrooms, so that education could continue at Alatchi Primary School and many others. Despite the aftermath, the ‘Sisters for Sisters’ project still continues today. At the start of the project, 320 girls from schools in my area were at risk of dropping out. Today however, 310 of them are still attending school. Girls are doing well and getting the education they need. This is the way Nepal will rebuild itself - one girl at a time!
020 8780 7500
enquiry@vso.org.uk
www.vso.org.uk/bethevolunteer/education
January 2016
Bett is certainly unique; a show that has evolved over the years to meet the changing needs of the education sector, and thrived. Originally it was simply an exhibition; an opportunity for teachers to see and try out new products to support learning. Teachers were able to speak to the suppliers, understand the full functionality of each product and gain a better insight into whether the resource was right for their individual needs.
Of course this aspect of Bett still thrives today. With freedom offered to schools in terms of investing in the products and resources that are right for their specific needs, Bett is a vital part of the decision making process. Yes, we can all look at products online and gather information but Bett gives you the chance to test the resource, asking questions of the supplier, potentially negotiating a better price and gathering valuable advice and guidance. Over the years, Bett has become so much more than an exhibition. Today it is the annual provider of the highest quality continuing professional development (CPD). The conference and seminar programmes offer visitors a wide range of training sessions that are completely free of charge. Over 500 expert speakers will present in the Bett Arena, the School Leaders’ Summit, Technology in Higher Education Summit and the ever-popular LearnLive (primary, secondary and SEN) theatres. The Further Education Skills Zone, Hands on LearnLive and STEAM Village add to this rich array of insight. Bett 2016 speakers include $1m TED Prize winner, Sugata Mitra, professor of educational technology at the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences at Newcastle University, and STEM advocate, and chief scientist of NASA, Dr. Ellen Stofan. Dr Stofan will be sharing insight into the agency's science programs and science- related strategic planning and investments.
The School Leaders’ Summit will host sessions delivered by international experts that deal with managing technology across the curriculum for measurement and assessment.
Across six theatres, the LearnLive series will immerse visitors in teaching techniques, learning strategies and the best practice implementation of technology. Every year educators take away inspiration on how to make a difference in their establishments. As the pioneers of Bett 32 years ago, BESA runs the show’s Information Point, which will be well sign posted from the stand and the ceiling. We have information on all the exhibitors and CPD content and are therefore best placed to guide you in the right direction. Whether you are looking for a resource to help you teach coding at Key Stage 2, an assessment system or want to be inspired to develop your school’s excellence in the STEAM subjects, we’ll be able to suggest the right seminars and exhibitors to visit during your day. Whether you are a regular visitor to Bett, haven’t been for the past few years or have never been before, I strongly recommend that you register your attendance today.
Entrance to the show and all its CPD sessions are free of charge. Ignite your excitement for learning, gather information to make your life easier and ensure you have the best resources to support the development of your class: come to Bett 2016 (20 – 23 January 2016, ExCeL, London).
For information from BESA contact: Caroline Wright 020 7537 4997
caroline@besa.org.uk
www.besa.org.uk
www.education-today.co.uk 7
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