Mission to Malawi

TWO city teachers are spending their summer holidays in Malawi schools to help improve children's education.

Katherine Simpson and Jane McClounan will stay with families in a rural community for five weeks as part of an international charity's project to raise education standards in Africa.

As well as helping to develop learning methods, the teachers will lay foundations for what could be a lasting bond between schools in Malawi and Glasgow.

It is hoped the scheme will lead to future exchanges, with teachers and children travelling between countries.

advertisementJane, 40, who works at Shawlands Primary, is no stranger to taking classes in foreign countries as she has already taught in Egypt, China, Taiwan and the Philippines.

She said: "Although I have worked overseas before, this will be totally different - I'm looking forward to what will be the experience of a lifetime.

"Each of us will be living with a family in a village where there is no or electricity or running water.

"Massive class sizes and lack of material resources present huge problems but in co-operation with Malawian colleagues we will work very hard to make a positive contribution."

Jane and Katherine, who teaches autistic kids at Middlefield residential school in the West End, are due to be sent to communities in Dedza district, central Malawi.

They fly out in June and should find out which schools and families they will be placed with over the next few days.

Katherine, 27, said: "It will be a real culture change in every sense.

"It can be perceived as corny to say I want to make a difference,' but that's why I went into teaching in the first place."

The project is run by Link Community Development, a charity dedicated to advancing education in Africa which places teachers in Malawi, Ghana, Uganda and South Africa.

A total of 18 teachers from schools across Scotland are heading for Malawi - the highest-ever number from north of the Border.

Catherine McKenna, 30, programme manager with the charity, said: "There has been a bigger focus on Scotland since we opened our new office in Edinburgh last year.

"The teachers won't be asked to take classes but will help improve the management of the school by comparing different methods of teaching and learning.

"We work in partnership with the education department in Malawi and the other countries we're involved with."

The charity is also looking to recruit teachers in October for next year's project.

Anyone interested should email Link Community Development at scotland@lcd.org.uk or visit www.lcd.org.uk