Post date: Aug 10, 2014 2:02:25 AM
8 April 1964
This world belongs to the insects. My house is full of them, surrounded by them, and destroyed by them. A most impressive sight is a column of ants three inches wide and as long as you want to follow it.
We had a meeting of PC in Enugu to discuss policy, problems, and how to improve. Seems we are the best organized PCV group in the world. Our regional director is an ex-labour-organizer, and Bill Saltonstall wants to make changes, too. We want to make possible Peace Corps expansion without multiplying rules and restrictive policy. Vehicle policy is up for potshots.
One way of change is the formation of Volunteer Support Groups (VSG)—for vehicles, administration, projects, teacher training, etc. I am on the VSG for Chemistry teaching. We want to start workshops and institutes—to include Nigerian teachers as well as Peace Corps. Also possibly affect the exam syllabus and write a text. Big order!
There is a remote chance that we may get another PCV in Arochuku. Only 5 teachers are coming in May, and there are 230 positions, but we can hope! She would teach at the Teacher Training College, 1/4 mile away.
I bought a 16 mm miniature camera so I’ll have at last some pictures. I’ll send my camera back to the States to get repaired through Sears as soon as I can find out about customs clearance.
Only 17 of 38 passed the West African school leaving exam from our school last year. Poor. 5 of 11 passed chemistry with only 3 months study! Education?
22 April 1964
Last weekend I went to Yenagoa, and the weekend before to Enugu for another meeting. The meeting was interesting, even if not many showed up. We discussed ways to improve our teaching in the fields of Chem, physics, and math. We decided that the biggest-stumbling block to teaching math is the hopelessly bad textbooks used here. One chap brought the new math program of Univ of Illinois which he had used and worked upon, and suggested we try to introduce it.
The biggest problem of course, is availability and cost of materials. Dr. Beeberman is sending (mimeograph) stencils for the first unit and we will get enough copies so we can show our fellow math teachers. We must find a cheap publisher, tho. The present text used here has no organization, poor examples, and only a large stock of difficult, but ungraded, problems. The students study arithmetic thru their senior year, and many of the skills needed for chemistry and physics are not taught until it is too late.
In Physics the big problem is text also, but the comparable program in the States, PSSC, is not applicable because it draws heavily upon the huge wealth of information which an American kid has but these kids totally lack. I have tried it for term and found it hopeless. Besides, PSSC does not cover the syllabus required by the exam here. We are searching among the available texts, hoping to find one. American texts are 2 to 3 times as expensive as the British texts, altho the students often have to buy two or three texts to find all the material.
Our chief gripe in Chemistry is the worthless, but expensive, collection of equipment which these poor schools buy at someone‘s suggestion. Also, the Ministry of education gives plans for science buildings designed for 24 students, but requires that there be 30 students in a class! A simple change like that may prove impossible to change because of political hassles in the ministry.
I’ve just read Main Street by Sinclair Lewis. I think maybe I‘ll study in Germany for a year or two after this Peace Corps, then return and finish my master's at Washington. I don‘t think I am PhD material—inquisitive, but too shallow in my questioning. I just never got a charge out of reading the more specialized literature (scientific) like some of the guys do.