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Where we do it > Maldives - Keith Mellor
Many think of the Maldives as a dream holiday destination - a top choice for newlyweds. But it’s also a country facing major problems and disparities in the quality of its education delivery. Keith Mellor is a primary school teacher from Cheshire who is drawing on his extensive experience in the sector to help tackle these problems. By sharing his skills with local teachers, he’s ensuring that more children will have the chance to realise their right to a decent education.
With the exception of those with severe special educational needs, all children in the Maldives have access to at least seven years of schooling. But the quality of that schooling is poor. 33% of teachers are untrained. It’s commonly perceived that children have to match the curriculum and teaching methodology, rather than vice versa. Because teachers are reluctant to work on the less developed islands, there’s a great disparity of access to quality education between those islands and the capital Male’.
VSO is working with the Maldives Ministry of Education to improve the quality of primary education for 10,000 students, including those with special needs. Keith Mellor has been volunteering in the Maldives since December 2006. He is one of several primary teachers from the UK working as a Primary Teacher Outreach Adviser.
‘I work with primary teachers and supervisors/head teachers,’ says Keith. ‘If I’m lucky the local teachers have had some basic training, but in some of the really small schools, many of the teachers are unqualified and some have only just left school themselves. Supervisors generally have an administrative role here and it’s our job to help them become more aware of their responsibilities and to develop sustainable systems to help them manage schools more effectively.’
Keith travels from island to island to work with colleagues in nine different schools. Initially, he meets the head teacher and staff at the school, and makes informal lesson observations to see how the school works. He then arranges a wide variety of workshops for the teachers, from lesson planning, positive behaviour management and classroom organisation to poetry, creative writing, mental maths starters and library reading sessions. The focus is on encouraging a participatory approach. ‘Most of all, I try to make the teachers realise that learning can be fun!’ says Keith.
The skills Keith is sharing with colleagues are already making a difference. He has observed a real shift in the attitude and approach of the teaching staff. ‘After my workshops on displays, many more teachers are taking the time to celebrate the achievements of children by making class displays,’ says Keith. He’s noticed that the children are motivated by these and are taking more pride in their work. ‘Lessons are more dynamic with the pupils taking a more active role in their learning. Maldivian teachers are becoming come empowered to try new ideas and to take responsibility for what they teach, rather than just following workbooks’.
The impact of Keith’s work isn’t just confined to the classroom. He describes the change in one of the supervisors he’s been working with: ‘Before, she would wait to be told what to do by the principal. But after working with me, her confidence has grown and she now takes much more responsibility. She even tells the principal what she wants to do!’
One of the biggest challenges Keith faces is simply getting around. He’s based in an atoll around five hours by boat from the capital Male’. ‘Boats usually travel to Male’ through the night, laden with people and cargo, arriving for breakfast next day,’ says Keith. ‘It’s a very different story to tourist travel!’ It’s not uncommon for Keith to struggle to get to the different schools he works in, as there is no regular inter-island travel. Chartering a boat on the volunteer allowance isn’t an option – it’s too expensive. ‘Luckily, with some help from the locals I’ve been able to share transport, and I’m much better at packing a bag at the last minute now than ever before!’
Volunteers’ commutes may be arduous, but the teachers’ feedback proves it’s worth it. Fathuhulla Imran has been teaching at Hangnaameedhoo School for two years. He has recently completed his Advanced Certificate in Primary Teaching, which was led by Keith and other volunteers. Fathuhulla claims that his confidence has improved ‘much much much! I was very quiet before training, but now I have the confidence to stand in front of a class and teach.’ Fathuhulla is now sharing his newly acquired skills with other teachers in his school.
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