If you could see what we see... you would witness a new picture developing through the many wooden framed classroom windows here in Rwanda. The new picture is one in which a new kind of lesson is developing. As trainers complete the final observations for the WSDP Quality Education core modules new sights are beginning to emerge in Rwandan classrooms.

If you could see what we see... you would see children using their own self made teaching aids and more actively sharing as a result. You would see smiles on their faces as they receive points for good behaviour instead of beatings and class applause for hard work. You would see children chatting and presenting, not because of disturbance or boredom, but in effective group work activities. You would see lively children learning inside and outside their classrooms.

Children using flowers to learn their colours in English

If you could see what we see... you would witness the gradual fading away of the lessons where the teacher is stood lecturing while bored, hot and tired children sit staring blankly. Those lessons which were all we saw two years ago are beginning to fade and a new picture of a new kind of education is emerging. In this new picture a gradual lesson transformation is taking place. Some of them have their own ‘homemade’ cones and they are measuring the slant or height of their cone and sharing it with a friend. Others are using stones to make letters as they form new Kinyarwanda sound blends. Yet others are using their home drawn animal pictures to discuss the similarities and differences of their different animals in groups. Others are using the bright flowers they picked on their way to school to learn their colours. Some others are making words or sentences in pairs or groups to enhance their learning in English and Kinyarwanda.

If you could see what we see... you would begin to smile too.