Malawi Primary School Support Program

School children in Dowa, Malawi

(Picture source: Cover of PSSP Report, see full details below)

''Monitored and supported making and use of TALULAR in 199 schools to promote effective teaching and learning in the classroom.'' (p8)

''Teaching and learning using locally available resources provides a bedrock for quality teaching. Local resources are plentiful, cheap and effective...

...They bring to life classroom instruction and make learning more exciting and tangible... known as TALULAR (Teaching and Learning Using Locally Available Resources) are used in lesson delivery by teachers to help learners acquire knowledge and skills...

...TALULAR can be leaves or bottle tops, knowledge or experience, living or nonliving, animal or plant, human or non-human. It can be in its original form or modified to suit its intended use...

...Drama club members and teachers and community members who excel in mobilizing local resources have become role models who can help show other communities how to replicate such initiatives elsewhere.

...Role models are an important and powerful mechanism for creating change and propelling stakeholders to achieve higher.

Thanks to local resources and efforts, now nearly all the schools in Dowa district have play parks where children spend time before and after school rather than staying at home. Children are playful and are drawn to opportunities for play. Play parks on the grounds of primary schools in Dowa district have attracted more children into schools, increasing school enrollment and retention.

Source: Capitalizing on Local Resources (p24) from Primary School Support Program (PSSP: SFP), Report January 2006-February 2009 by Simeon Mawindo, Cassandra Jessee and Jennifer Anderson. Prepared for the American Institutes for Research in partnership with Creative Center for Community Mobilization, Malawi Institute of Education, and Miske Witt & Associates.

Environment and Talular

''...to get around to writing about environmental concerns here in Malawi. It is easy to allow the issue to fall to the bottom of one’s priority list when faced with more immediately life threatening problems....

...On the bright side, there is a lot of recycling going on (out of necessity not blue box programs!) by people who sell used plastic bottles, beautiful mops made from rags, and other things for re-use, children (and artisans!) who make toys out of scraps and people who buy and sell second hand clothes. Educators have embraced the concept called “TALULAR” – Teaching And Learning Using Locally Available Resources. There is a refreshing absence of consumerism and all of its environmental repercussions. ..''

Monday April 20th, 2009

Source: Hales in Africa

Talular in the Peace Corps Journal

Peace Corps Journal and Talular.

Are you in Peace Corp? Are you using Talular? Why not put a report in your journal?

The 'search' link above should allow everyone to hear about your TALULARisation!

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Also

"...Primary students learn mathematics in Malawi using soda bottle caps, an innovation of a project called TALULAR, Teaching and Learning Using Locally Available Resources."

Source: The Center for Research and Development in International Education (CRaDIE), Virginia Tech. School of Education

HEQMISA and Talular

Source: Higher Education Quality Management Initiative for Southern Africa (HEQMISA)

"Malawi Country Project...
The project was carried out in order to stimulate both staff and students/pupils in the environment they live in and how they can use these local resources in the process of teaching and learning. It is hoped that TALULAR would result in increased creativity as well as supplying the resources for teaching and learning instead of relying on
imported goods.

The following questions were asked after the impressive presentation:
1 Can TALULAR also be used in other courses?
Other areas that have been shown to use TALULAR are biology,language among others. Teachers/facilitators provide examples from their own fields

2 At what level of education can TALULAR be used?
Talular is appropriate at all levels of education starting at primary level and will continue to other levels when the new curriculum gets phased in.

3 How do you conduct assessments?
TALULAR provides a good foundation for education and assessment and is embedded in the course curriculum which is outcome based.

4 What are the challenges to be encountered when using Talurar?
Teachers and lecturers feel shy collecting waste materials for utilisation. In addition, there is also a lack of expertise in collecting materials.

5 What measures are there for follow up and feedback using the Cascade Model?
These will be checked through visits to colleges. This reduces costs and will be done during the normal activities of the MoE.

6 Why was the focus on TTCs and not other institutions?
The TTCs were easier to access because of the problem of inadequate funding.

7 Why were Principals not included in the workshops?
The Deputy Principals are normally in charge of academic programmes while the Principals are busy with other administrative activities.

8 Where is the ‘learner centeredness’ and where is ‘quality’?
Participants explained how they were going to use the resources and also the provision of equipment.

... The general situation of education in Malawi and other SADC countries was discussed in general. It was agreed that a teacher: pupil ratio of 1:300 is extremely challenging..."

Teaching made simple with Talular

"...There’s an old flip flop with three sizeable holes in its sole that sits amid scraps of paper on the concrete floor.

Talular is hard at work.

Teaching and learning using locally available resources, also known as Talular, is using any and every thing within reach, from bottle caps to old cell phone vouchers to make teaching resources.

“A teacher is a scavenger,” said Talular facilitator Byson Maneya during a Talular training at Zomba’s Mponda teacher development centre. Maneya has made more than 2,000 pieces of Talular in the last 10 years of his 16-year teaching career. His indefatigable enthusiasm and dedication have earned him the nickname, Mr. Talular.

Talular could not be more applicable in Malawi, as its 15-year-old free primary education system still struggles to cope with large class sizes with few teachers and fewer resources.

In Malawi’s schools, 60 pupils in a room is considered the target. In the Ngabu zone’s 14 schools alone, there are 10,802 students taught by 71 teachers, or a ratio of 152 students per teacher..."


Source: Yumimi Pang in The Daily Times (Malawi) of 02-04-09

TALULAR ideas... teachers all round the world can use them!

''... They use everything from old light bulbs, matchboxes and cans to plastic bags and toilet paper rolls. One of the best examples he gave us was a "television" made from a box with a roll of paper inside and two sticks... He (Gibson Zembeni) told us a great story with it... We got some really great ideas to use in the classroom. The concepts are not only resourceful for teachers in Africa, but teachers all around the world can also use them!''
Krista Patrick, Virgina Tech., USA. Student teacher visiting Malawi

Use TALULAR rather than bemoan the lack of resources

''Teaching with no resources (no desks, chairs, few books and over 100 children to each class) is challenging, and the advice is to use TALULAR - (Teaching And Learning Using Locally Available Resources). As the syllabus included introducing the game of netball, Kay fronted up to the task, by asking the girls to bring home made balls (plastic and string) and plastic bags with handles, which, when held aloft by one girl at each end of dusty space, made the goals. 140 very excited and enthusiastic girls... may go some way in encouraging other teachers to use TALULAR rather than bemoan the lack of equipment.'' Richard and Kay Harvey (2008) Concern-Universal

Kay is a teacher of PE and English as a foreign language and Richard is the former CEO of AVIVA, the world's fifth largest insurer.