The Baobab Alternative School
Most Tanzanian children underachieve in school because their schools under-challenge and under serve them. Although access to government schools is still a problem for many children in rural areas, poor quality education is what holds back the majority who do attend school. Critical thinking and creativity are actively discouraged in primary school while obedience and rote memorization is rewarded. Likewise, some form of corporal punishment is still practiced in every school for “offences” as minor as not having a proper uniform. Children are ranked based only on objective tests with thousands nationwide prohibited from attending high school each year. Teacher salaries are below poverty level and teacher attendance is poor. The teacher to student ratio can be as high as 1 to 90. Low resources mean that oversight and evaluation are minimal. Government primary schools have little to no English language teaching (however, every high school in the country is taught in English.) It is the very rare child who can succeed against such odds. Tanzania is one of the world’s poorest countries and it will remain so if education is not improved.
Our Vision for the School
The Baobab Home Board of Directors want to create a learning environment where the orphaned children in the Baobab family can develop a love of learning while remaining a part of the community to which they belong . The school will be located on the site of the children’s home, but will also welcome Tanzanian and international students.
The Baobab Alternative School will be culturally appropriate to Tanzania and not simply mimic western-style education. Children will grown and develop thorough experiences ranging from traditional storytelling and drumming with village elders to hands-on science experiments. Children will learn farming and livestock cultivation as part of daily life as well as computer literacy, sports and drama. Each day a balance of child- initiated and teacher- facilitated activities will help children at Baobab to develop into confident lifelong learners and leaders, as well as responsible global citizens. Class sizes will be kept small so that teachers can be mindful of individual learning styles and develop positive and supportive relationships with each child. The Baobab Board will develop the school Curriculum beginning January 2009. The Board will work in concert with educational specialists from Tanzania and the United States guided by the tenets of the Whole Child Initiative set forth by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development - that every child should be healthy, safe, engaged in learning, supported by caring adults, and academically challenged. Ensuring that children develop into responsible servant leaders of their community will be key. Special emphasis will be placed on ensuring respect for diversity and gender equity in all curriculum and school policies and procedures
The school will be located at The Baobab Home, a home for orphaned children of various ages set on 15 acres of fertile farm land on the coast of Tanzania, East Africa. The school will enroll approximately 160 students from kindergarten through grade 8. The student body will be comprised of orphaned children resident at the Baobab Home, children in surrounding villages and families seeking quality education. The teaching staff will be Credentialed International and Tanzanian, both volunteer and paid. Lessons will be in English and Kiswahili taught by native speakers
The school will be started with a phased approach beginning with 1 or 2 classes at the Pre-K/ Standard 1 levels. Phasing in each year allows Baobab to responsibly ensure each level is resourced, staffed and equipped to be piloted and subsequently replicated thereafter. Proposed start date for Phase 1 is January 2010
Construction Costs
$125,000
The school’s environmental impact will be kept as low as possible. The main source of power will be the sun. Rainwater collection tanks will be used to supplement well water. Most food will be grown on site and buildings will be constructed using ‘Green’ methods, using mostly local materials.
Running Costs
The cost of sustaining such an ambitious venture will be significant. Notable ongoing expenditures will include:
- Recruitment, hiring and providing room and board for qualified staff, both international and Tanzanian;
- School equipment from science equipment to computers with Internet connectivity to musical instruments to sports gear will all prove costly yet vital to the mission of this school;
- Up-to-date and appropriate text books and a library will be another notable and ongoing expenditure;
- Professional development expenditures to ensure the curriculum remains relevant and teaching staff remain current (belonging to professional associations; reviewing the curriculum periodically and going through an accreditation process)
- Vehicles for transport of children
