By Kate Robey | Charitable Trust Operations Manager
Dear Supporter,
GVI has now been working at Navunisea District School (NDS) since April 2013. Our key focus at the school is improving English literacy because the school has some of the lowest exam results in mainland Fiji. English is the language of instruction in spite of being a second or third language in Fiji. This has a huge detrimental effect on student's success.
There are also many other factors impacting on education in the area. These include a livelihood based on subsistence farming and fishing, often demanding that children contribute to the plantation and household chores, poorly resourced schools and teachers, and a lack professional development for teachers. NDS currently has two composite classes meaning that space for teaching and learning is very limited. Crowded classrooms and the absence of teaching assistants has posed a huge challenge for children at the school historically.
During the first quarter of our third year at NDS we have radically developed our literacy programme at the school. Thorough assessments of pupil's reading levels have been made and books in the library have been classified accordingly. This enables both teachers and volunteers to match children with 'just right' reading books and literacy activities, vastly increasing their interest in English and fostering a love of reading.
Volunteers now take literacy groups according to ability and focus on guided reading and comprehension activities with pupils. Teachers had also identified creative writing as an area in which pupils struggled. Volunteers now deliver a programme of composition workshops for classes 5-8 and there is a writing corner in the library where pupils can come to engage in creative writing activities and prepare for exams. The development of good writing skills is vital, not only for the future prospects of our pupils but also for their self-expression, empowering them to advocate for themselves and their communities.
This programme has been supported by additional training for volunteers to ensure the quality of support delivered, as well as professional development workshops for local teachers in the areas of literacy, writing, and classroom management. The library offers a great venue for training courses as well as a space where resources can be created and shared with the school.
We thank you for your continued support of this project.
With GVI-Fiji
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