__________________________
1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
There is a
great need for basic (primary and secondary) education in Angola. Due
to well-known causes, notably the war and the instability that ensues
from it, mismanagement of the scarce resources allocated, etc., the country
has been unable to sustain a good educational system.
In fact, the educational structure has been increasingly deteriorating
for the last twenty years.
* In a recent report on Third World education the Guardian Newspaper noted that less than half (48%) of young people aged five to eighteen are in school. The education backlog is so huge that it needs an emergency plan. Some international observers talk about a "lost generation" that has grown for almost a decade. This is a generation of kids who have never been to school or who have been only sporadically in school.
There is at
present a proliferation of primary establishments (in big cities) trying
somehow to fill in the gap left by the crumbling state system. Some of
these initiatives are promoted or backed by local NGOs, churches or other
groups.
However, matters are not helped by the fact that most teachers are not
adequately trained; victims themselves of the situation and also most
children are effectively barred from school registration because of poverty.
The situation for secondary schools is worse as this demands much more
in terms of human and material recourses.
In 2003 the
country has seen a semblance of peace for the first time after so many
years of relentless war. It is everyone's hope and prayer that this time
the peace will hold for longer. Now Angolans could begin to evaluate the
extent of the devastation that their war-torn country has suffered as
people slowly start moving back to their regions of origin and trying
to rebuild their lives.
It is therefore a good time to try to provide something that would alleviate
some of the needs of this long suffering people and sow the seeds of self
reliance and prosperity for the future.
A brief data
and facts about Angola is given in the appendix B of this document.
*The Guardian, Tuesday, April 4, 2000. Page 19
When big undertakings
are not possible, small steps can be of great effectiveness and make a
significant difference in people's lives.
The vision fostered in this project is to found a secondary school as
a contribution to the effort in alleviating the pressing need for basic
education referred to above.
This school will aim at preparing youngsters for a responsible adult life and help them contribute positively to the welfare of society. This will be achieved by ways of providing them with a proper and good education and practical skills.
For its survival
in a modern and increasingly competitive world Angola as a country needs
to start cultivating a tradition for excellence in work, respect for God
and service to society.
Although in a small way the school we are intending to set up will aspire
to work with the motto "SCIENTIA, CONSCIENTIA, EXCELLENTIA".
"To establish in Angola, starting in Luanda, a secondary school which will aim at educating youngsters and preparing them to become responsible and valued citizens and providing them with the grounding necessary to meet and excel the challenges of modern life"
The project
shall adopt the "Mustard Seed" strategy. That is, start small, grow and
flourish. This philosophy of flexibility designed for growth would allow
for incremental but significant steps be made while the project progresses.
It is thought that for obvious reasons this is the best way to proceed
especially as the project is not self-funding.
Moreover, the project shall endeavour to offer the best possible standard
for academic education and training.
2.2 The School - Nature and Policy
It is part of the vision for this project that the school to be established shall teach and observe Christian ethos. However, the school shall be an independent and open establishment.
The school
shall be open to any youngster regardless of their background, race and
sex.
In the interest of promoting a balanced society priority shall be given
to those who are destitute.
The school shall seek to create ties and maintain relations with similar institutions within the country and abroad as a means of keeping in step in matter of curriculum, exchange programme and exam accreditation.
The school shall also foster links with local and national companies and endeavour to obtain industry-sponsored ventures.
The project
will be a two-phase programme consisting of two educational stages. The
first will be a preparatory phase lasting a couple of years and the second
will last four years.
The project will initially run as a pilot scheme consisting of the first
phase only. It would then be reviewed and approved for success in order
to prepare for the next phase.
Sufficient financial backing should be secured so that once approval has been given the second phase would need to be implemented in full in order to ensure that freshmen enrolled in the programme are able to finish their study.
The outcome of the whole experiment will determine whether the project is worth continuing and probably be a benchmark for similar initiatives elsewhere or simply be stopped.
It should be part of the overall strategy that as well as maintaining external ties, the project should by the end of the experimental time be able to raise enough local support.
3.2. Stages of study and Curriculum
The aim of
the project is to create a school that would offer the best possible educational
opportunities in a friendly and high-achieving environment where the student's
all-round development is monitored and supported to develop individual
potential to the full.
The study programme will consist of a two-stage level in step with the
two phases of the project.
The first stage
will be a preparatory stage lasting a couple of years, necessary to round
out pupils' primary education and prepare them for the next level.
The curriculum in this stage will aim at consolidating the core basic
knowledge focussing on numeracy, literacy and science. An outline of the
curriculum can be found in appendix A.
The second stage will last four years, and should have more than one option to choose from. Two areas of specialism at least would be preferable to start with; for example Social or Human Sciences path and Natural Sciences path of studies could be suggested.
This stage
will build on the foundation laid in the previous stage and will provide
opportunity for students to broaden their knowledge and learn new skills.
The curriculum will deepen and expand the core knowledge and introduce
new items such as foreign languages, general knowledge subjects, new technologies
and vocational studies.
It should be the intention of the project that school leavers are prepared
to be able to start a working career if they do not wish to proceed with
high academic studies.
An outline of the curriculum can be found in the appendix A.
3.3. Facilities (Physical Structures)
As a starting
step for the school five rooms should be made available: two for normal
classes, one housing the school library and to be used for IT classes
as well, a multi-purpose room for specialised activities (laboratory,
workshops, etc.) and room for administration.
The activity rooms should be able to provide enough space for at least
twenty-five students with essentials for normal academic use.
Six people at least would have to be employed full time to start the project. They will take up responsibility for teaching and administration.
Estimated costs per year for the duration of the project:
First year:
Building Cost: ............................................ £75,000.00
(or
£92,000.00 with solar panels)
Equipment
Cost: .................................................... ± £39,000.00
Running Cost: ..........................................................
£35,000.00
Second year: Running Cost: ........................................ £35,000.00
Third year:
Building extension (4 classes) ...................... £35,000.00
Third - sixth year: Running Cost: (10% up) .................... £38,500.00
Note:
•
The running cost includes salaries.
•
A full detailed costing is presented in a separate document as part of
the project
overall review.
As the project
would heavily rely on external funding to start off, the governing body
should consist of two partners: external and local. These partners would
constitute the board of trusties.
The board of trusties will be made up of representatives of organisations
and individuals who will fund, set up and support the project.
Its role would be to outline the fundamental principles and the policy of the school, review and approve financial matters and decide on the fate of the project after the trial period.
The external partner would focus more in getting the start up fund and long term funding for the project and the local partner would devote much of their effort in establishing the project physical infrastructure and subsequently oversee its running.
An account commission designated by the board of trusties would have the task of overseeing the use of finances, report and make recommendations to the board.
A project leader would be nominated and would be responsible, on site, for the day to day running of the school. He/she would be directly accountable to the board of trusties.
The chairperson of the board of trusties together with the project leader would represent the project to the local authority.
The board should be able to meet in full at least twice during the lifetime of the project.
At the time
of these writings the people listed below are those have been informed
about the project and have shown interest or are supporting it in some
way.
If you would like to be part of this team please read the section below
"About Support" and do not hesitate to contact the project originator
at the address below
1. Enes Mateus
Mayele Originator, Telford - UK
2. Tussevo Vicky Mateus Telford, UK
3. Klaus Biedermann, Prof. Dep. of Physics, KTH - Stockholm, Sweden
4. Steve Latham, Rev. Pastor of Westbourne Park Baptist Church, London
5. Alex Coakley London, UK
6. Panzo Abilio London, UK
7. Lindsay Ramsbottom London, UK
8. Joao Makondekwa, Rev Luanda, Angola
9. Mpembele Sadi Daniel Luanda, Angola
10. Paul Jackson, Rev. Pastor of Burgess Hill Baptist Church, West Sussex
11. Erik Bergman Stockholm, Sweden
12. Mumalongo Makondekwa Houston, USA
13. Jackson Kamamona Paris, France
14. Wiki Adolfo London, UK
15. Kate Jopson Telford, UK
16. John Wye Telford, UK
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
…
It is a very rewarding and noble thing to support a cause or project that seeks to help people find purpose in life. Your support is very welcome and most appreciated. Although financial support is what first comes to mind (and is well sought after) in an undertaking of this nature, any other form of support is also important and needed, as explained in the following.
Pray: It doesn't need emphasising for those who believe that this should be first in the list.
Share: Spreading
the word can be a very effective way of supporting a project of this sort
as the more people get involved the lighter the load becomes. So, please
talk about it with others: family members, friends and colleagues and
get in touch with organisations that can help.
Give: After personnel and organisation, finance (or the lack of it) is
the most important element that "make or break" a project. Please give
as much as you can and get others to give as well. However, giving is
not just about money, because as the project progresses they will be a
need for people to give time and talent in different ways. Any help of
this sort will be very well appreciated.
The "call" to open a school has been with me for a long time and has been maturing with my own experience as lecturer and trainer. In fact, opening young minds to knowledge and understanding has always been one of my passions.
I have been privileged to get the best secondary education possible during my teens and it has always been my desire to give back my first best, as much as possible to society.
I believe
primary school gives one a good starting step as crawling and moving around
are for a young child a good sign of normal development. Secondary school
however provides the maturing child with the means to stay standing upright
for adulthood.
As a Christian, I believe that a school is a place where good ethos should
be imparted and the ground prepared that youngsters are given a good perspective
in life.
Young people need to be given the opportunity to listen to the Gospel
of Christ and respond, as they find fit.
A benevolent initiative like this one requires a lot of effort and sacrifice.
It does need a serious preparation and collaboration with all people of
good will in order to make it come to birth.
I am very
grateful to everyone who has supported me so far. Those listed in the
support section and those who are not.
Your word of encouragement; your excitement about the project; your question;
your time reviewing the draft documents; your suggestion - has been a
great spur. THANK YOU.
I would appreciate hearing from anyone who would like to contribute in any way. Your advice, critique, encouragement, help ... is most welcome.
Thank you very much
Enes Mateus
Mayele
22 St Christophers way
Telford
TF4 2JA
England
Tel. 01952
504260
Email: emateu@hotmail.com
APPENDIX
A. CURRICULUM - Overview
In the following
an outline of the curriculum is presented as a supplement to the present
document. A detailed proposal of the curriculum will be presented in a
separate document as part of the overall review of the project in due
time.
The fundamental objective of the curriculum is to ensure that the students
work to their full potential and develop essential study skills. Extra-curriculum
activities should be added to the provision presented below.
This stage lasting two years is an essential as part of the students' academic development. Its purpose is to round out pupils' primary education and prepare them for the rigour and demands of the curriculum of the next stage. Each student progress will be carefully monitored in order to ensure that they are better prepared to embrace the challenges ahead.
The following
subjects would be studied:
Mathematics, Portuguese, Science, History, Geography, Music/Art, Practical
Skills and Technology, Information Technology, Ethic and Civic Education,
Physical Education and Religious Education.
The second
stage lasting four years will see two specialisms introduced from the
second year: Social or Human Sciences and Natural Sciences areas of studies.
Option for one or other path should occur during the second year of this
stage.
This stage will build on the foundation laid in the previous and will
provide opportunity for students to broaden their knowledge and learn
new skills.
The curriculum will deepen and expand on the core knowledge and introduce
new items such as modern/foreign languages, general knowledge subjects,
new technologies and vocational studies.
Entry
level
The following subjects would be studied by all:
Mathematics, Portuguese, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Geography,
Sociology, Foreign Language (English, French), Music, Art, Design Technology,
Information Technology, Physical Education and Religious Education.
Path1
- Social Sciences
The following subjects would be studied:
Mathematics, Portuguese, Natural Sciences, History, Geography, Sociology,
Psychology, Philosophy, Business, Foreign Language (English or French),
Music, Art, Information Technology, Physical Education and Religious Education.
Path2
- Natural Sciences
The following subjects would be studied:
Mathematics, Portuguese, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Geography,
Social Sciences, Business, Foreign Language (English or French), Music,
Art, Design Technology, Information Technology, Physical Education and
Religious Education.
APPENDIX
B.
Data and Facts about Angola
Location
Angola is located on the Atlantic Coast of South-Western part of Africa.
It is bordered in the South by Namibia and Zambia and in the East and
in the North by the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In the West Angola has 1,600 km-long of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean.
Land Area: 486,213 square miles
Population: 12 million (Year 2000 estimate)
Capital City: Luanda
Languages:
Portuguese is the official language in Angola, but there are over 60 other
Bantu-group languages. The main languages also called national languages
are Umbundu, Kikongo, Kimbundu, Tchokwe, Ovambo.
Brief historical
facts
Angola gained its independence from Portugal in 1975 amid civil war between
the three main nationalist groups fuelled by external interventions.
Once independent, the new Angola quickly fell victim of the cold war and
became a hot spot showcase for superpower rivalry.
The civil war
persisted for almost three decades during which many attempts to settle
the conflict failed.
Very recently, in 2002 the warring parties signed a cease-fire agreement.
However, as many as one million people have died in the fighting since
1975, and the country's infrastructure has yet to recover from the effects
of the warfare.
More
facts and data on Angola can be found on the Internet. Here are some suggestions:
1. http://www. memory.loc.gov/frd/cs/aotoc.html - ANGOLA - A Country Study
commissioned by the Federal Research Division - Library of Congress 1989
2. http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/section/angola_history.asp - Nice
short historical account until 2002
3. http://www.oxfam.co.uk - search for Angola for more recent info on
humanitarian front and more.
4. http://www.bbc.co.uk - search for Angola for more recent info in general.