Strikes, Strikes, Strikes
It is sometimes frustrating to see a problem and know you are helpless to fix it. This is how I feel about the current state of education in Senegal. Not only are the facilities and materials seriously lacking, but the students know it and are continuously striking. In theory, striking is a good idea. If the government is not acknowledging your needs and at least trying to meet them, striking to protest their negligence would make sense. However, when you are striking every year with the same grievances and have not seen any improvements, it may be time to try other tactics.
In Tamba, the school year “starts” in October and ends in June. Not surprisingly, the students were on strike last week when I got home from my vacation. I had some stuff I needed to accomplish at the schools this week, so I kept my fingers crossed that the kids would be back in school by Monday, Tuesday, or some day soon. It wasn’t until yesterday, while the students were still on strike, that one of the teachers informed my friend that the strike would be until JANUARY—like every other year. Well, this news blew my mind.
All day, I was upset thinking about what the teacher had said. When I finally arrived home, I sat down with my teenage siblings and their friends to ask the questions I’d been thinking of all day. Unfortunately, they confirmed that indeed the strike would probably be until January and is pretty much an annual occurrence. The conversation went a little something like this:
Them- We don’t have enough teachers or materials, and there are no toilets or electricity.
Me- If you strike for the same reasons every year, do you see any results from all the time you spend striking and out of school?
Them- No. There have been no improvements.
Me- Ok. Well there needs to be improvements, but if the strikes aren’t working, isn’t it better to at least be in school? Isn’t there another way you can try to get the attention of the government?
Them- We need to strike, we need materials for school.
Me- The strikes aren’t working. You need to try something new. I came here to help Senegalese people develop Senegal. Education is very important for development. If you are the future of Senegal and you are not in school for half the school year, you can’t develop Senegal. You need to be in school.
Them- Shrug.
Me- Repeat of last comment over and over again.
Them- We need more materials.
This is a problem I can’t fix. I can come and encourage kids to go to school with leadership conferences, mentoring, and scholarships; but when I leave, what will it have done if the government isn’t providing the education children here need and deserve?
At least, now my 18yr old sister can come to the girls’ leadership conference I’m hosting tomorrow… since she doesn’t have school and all. Maybe if she gets the education she deserves, one day she’ll grow up and have a chance to do everything she dreams about.
In Tamba, the school year “starts” in October and ends in June. Not surprisingly, the students were on strike last week when I got home from my vacation. I had some stuff I needed to accomplish at the schools this week, so I kept my fingers crossed that the kids would be back in school by Monday, Tuesday, or some day soon. It wasn’t until yesterday, while the students were still on strike, that one of the teachers informed my friend that the strike would be until JANUARY—like every other year. Well, this news blew my mind.
All day, I was upset thinking about what the teacher had said. When I finally arrived home, I sat down with my teenage siblings and their friends to ask the questions I’d been thinking of all day. Unfortunately, they confirmed that indeed the strike would probably be until January and is pretty much an annual occurrence. The conversation went a little something like this:
Them- We don’t have enough teachers or materials, and there are no toilets or electricity.
Me- If you strike for the same reasons every year, do you see any results from all the time you spend striking and out of school?
Them- No. There have been no improvements.
Me- Ok. Well there needs to be improvements, but if the strikes aren’t working, isn’t it better to at least be in school? Isn’t there another way you can try to get the attention of the government?
Them- We need to strike, we need materials for school.
Me- The strikes aren’t working. You need to try something new. I came here to help Senegalese people develop Senegal. Education is very important for development. If you are the future of Senegal and you are not in school for half the school year, you can’t develop Senegal. You need to be in school.
Them- Shrug.
Me- Repeat of last comment over and over again.
Them- We need more materials.
This is a problem I can’t fix. I can come and encourage kids to go to school with leadership conferences, mentoring, and scholarships; but when I leave, what will it have done if the government isn’t providing the education children here need and deserve?
At least, now my 18yr old sister can come to the girls’ leadership conference I’m hosting tomorrow… since she doesn’t have school and all. Maybe if she gets the education she deserves, one day she’ll grow up and have a chance to do everything she dreams about.
posted by Ashleigh | 6:03 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home