Mbabane, Swaziland Report of what it's like to live there - 07/14/15
Personal Experiences from Mbabane, Swaziland
School Name:
Usutu Forest Primary School
Background Information:
1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
Parent.
2. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
4, 5 and 6.
3. During what years were you affiliated with this school?
2013, 2014.
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
Employment in Mbabane.
5. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
It was supposedly the best school available.
Admissions & Welcome:
1. Are the admissions and placement procedures clearly stated to prospective families, either on the school website or through other means of communication?
C - If you could pay, you could get in. How they determine which grade a kid goes into seems to depend on age rather than ability.
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
C - Parents often had to lobby to get children moved up to a more appropriate challenging grade. This school is stuck in its ways, and it shouldn't be such a struggle to try and get your child enriched.
Administration & School Procedures:
1. Describe the general climate of the grade level that you teach or your child attends:
I was very disappointed with the school and was thrilled when my child left it. The school's approach is to teach to the lowest common denominator. If your child is skilled in anything, the school will do nothing to accommodate the child by tailoring lessons or seeking extra challenges. Teachers move in lock-step to defend the fact that they will do nothing extra to challenge your child, and the administrators are of the same mindset. Compared to western schools, this school is at least one to two years behind general academic standards. My child certainly regressed academically while there, and it was heartbreaking. Some parents pulled their kids out as well because it was such an un-nurturing, stale environment.
2. For the following attributes, down to the next blank box, grade your experience at the school on a scale of A (excellent) to F (unacceptable/terrible) and provide comments:<br><br>Overall fair and equitable treatment of all students and families:
C
3. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
C
4. Aside from school fees, are there required expenses such as uniforms, laptops/tablets, musical instruments, or field trips that parents are expected to cover? What are the approximate costs?
No.
5. Services for gifted students who need academic challenge and students with learning difficulties:
F - There is absolutely nothing available for gifted students - or even students who show a keen interest in certain courses.
6. Availability and variety of after-school activities for various ages:
C - The school is supposed to be the "sporty" school in the area. Sadly, the bar for sports is very low here as public schools have little if any sporting activity. That said, there were after school sports activities, but they were canceled without notice at least 25% of the time.
7. Maintenance of appropriately high standards for all students:
F - As stated previously, high standards are not a priority. Teaching to the masses and lowering standards is the primary focus.
8. Homework assigned (quality, quantity):
D - All homework and classwork is copying and memorization. Homework books actually have handouts, copied and pasted into the book. Most homework involves copying work off the blackboard.
9. Administration-parent communication:
D - If you have an issue, it takes days before the administration will get back to you, regardless of the seriousness of the matter.
10. Teacher-student communication:
C - This is old school mentality. Teachers talk to kids in just about any manner they want. They can insult them, even call them names or allow them to be bullied; and at the end of the day, the teacher is in charge. It is absolutely shameful, and one of the reasons parents began pulling their kids out.
11. Academics, answer the following questions "yes" or "no" with an explanation if appropriate:<br><br>Are there any classes or subjects where students are not appropriately challenged?
Yes - most of them.
12. Does your child receive any special-needs assistance or instruction at this school? If yes, what types? Who provides services and where:
No - despite asking for it.
13. Do you believe the special-needs assistance is appropriate and fills your needs? Explain:
No. Again, if you ask for creative ways to challenge kids, they won't do anything to assist.
14. Does the gifted and talented program meet the needs of students? Please explain:
N/A
15. Does the school offer a wide variety of elective or non-core classes such as art, music, and drama?
Yes - not very many, but there are some.
16. Please describe any classes or programs that you believe are missing:
Life sciences and advanced computer classes.
17. Are there academic requirements such as trips or other activities that cost money in addition to school fees?
Yes.
18. What activities do you feel are missing?
The activities are there, they just need committed coaches and teachers to manage them.
19. Have your children participated in the activities offered? If no, please indicate why:
Yes - but they usually lost interest because there was no consistency.
20. Does the school provide appropriate assistance to new students?
No.
21. Please describe any problem areas or challenges in social interaction at the school:
Conservative and religious-based, so there is very little discussion/exposure to people who are homosexual, sexually active or non-Christian.
Academics & Resources:
1. What personal or academic counseling resources are available at this school? Is there a dedicated college counselor at the school? Is he/she familiar with universities worldwide?
D
2. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
D - Besides the pathetically small collection, once again you have to lobby to even allow your child to take out a book that is considered too "old" for the child, regardless of their reading acumen. It was shameful --- the only library I've seen that dissuaded kids from trying to move ahead and explore. VERY rigid.
3. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
D - The teacher was enthusiastic but woefully behind when compared to western or other international schools.
4. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
D
5. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
B - 1:25 perhaps
6. Are Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses available in upper grades? If this is an IB school, is the full diploma required of all students?
N/A
7. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
No.
8. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
D
9. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
Yes.
10. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
No.
11. What extra-curricular activities (including sports) are available at this school? Have your children participated in these activities? What activities do you feel are missing at the school?
Yes - but they are poorly arranged and supervised. They are often cancelled.
Social & Emotional Well-Being:
1. Do expatriate students socialize with local students at the school? Are both groups successfully integrated into the school culture?
Yes.
2. Are there are any problems with exclusionary behavior, cliques, or bullying at this school? Please describe any problems your children may have experienced in this area.
Yes - the school was notified, and the response was "boys will be boys".
Overall Impressions:
1. What is the greatest strength of this school?
It is very clean.
2. Greatest challenge?
Dealing with a rigid bureaucracy that is reluctant to change, challenge kids, or improve the standards of education.
3. Would you choose this school again? Why?
No way. Sadly, this school took the enthusiasm of education out of my child for the entire time my child was at the school.
