Egypt: From Literacy Classes to Learning Carnivals
I realize the importance of learning in my life. It is a chance to have a better future.
– Adult learner, Education Reform Project, Egypt.
For
adult learners, the classroom
presents challenges different
from those of younger students. Adults
have greater responsibilities
at work and home which compete
with their focus on school. For
some, the frustrations of
learning can outweigh the
joys—though when there
are creative answers to making
literacy classes more interesting,
those frustrations can be
abated. To better engage
learners, World Education
has developed the “learning
carnival” approach
through the Egypt Education
Reform Program (ERP). Learning
carnivals are an innovative
classroom methodology that
transforms literacy classes
from a traditional educational
environment to one in which
learners play, laugh, and
learn with others, while
also acquiring information
and skills. Teachers notice
that not only are classes
more fun, but students actively
participate and develop skills
more quickly. The carnivals
also help keep current learners
in literacy classes and motivate
new students to enroll.
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Literacy classes get parents more involved in their children's education.
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At the learning carnival,
educational games and activities
focus on topics such as child
rearing, early childhood
development, and environmental
issues. They can also include
how to make simple educational
toys from local materials
and how to play games at
home with children. Practicing
new literacy skills through
arts and crafts and acquiring
vocational skills such as
sewing are also part of the
carnivals. In addition, each
carnival has puppet shows
dealing with specific issues
relevant to the learners’ lives,
such as the importance of
literacy and the issuance
of identification cards.
Also covered are sensitive
topics, such as early marriage,
which are difficult to discuss
in traditional class rooms,
but become easier to discuss
when performing role-playing
skits that reflect the realities
of daily life.
World Education is working
with the Adult Education
Authority in Egypt as part
of the ERP, a five-year program
funded by the U.S. Agency
for International Development
(USAID), to improve the quality
of Egypt’s education
system. Key parts of the
program are increasing enrollment,
learner retention, and success
rates of adult students entering
community literacy classes.
World Education supports
the Adult Education Authority
by helping to engage community
members and parents in literacy
initiatives.
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Through games and activities, adult students improve their literacy skills and discuss issues important in their lives.
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World Education helps literacy
teachers promote active learning,
which engages students and
teachers alike by linking
content to songs, games,
and even dance. Active learning
also places the student at
the center of the learning
process, and encourages reflection,
discussion and collaboration.
Over the past two years,
World Education and the Adult
Education Authority have
stimulated an impressive
demand for literacy classes
with fun, creative activities
including learning carnivals.
Illiteracy often deters parents,
especially women, from advocating
for their children’s
education and becoming involved
in school committees. With
the confidence they gain
in the classroom, women are
able to advocate for better
classroom conditions, training
for teachers, and additional
resources. Participants in
the program share new skills
with their children and become
more involved in their education,
which is part of the Egypt
Education Reform Program’s
overall goal to improve community
participation in education.
As one learner says, "We
are better able to help our
children with their education."
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