Having saved on 50 km trip of not having to pick up the district official from Cofimvaba we arrived just after 8. The school was in session and we opted to wait until the classes had their next break before setting up. The decision was taken to combine the both classes of about 60 and to then have an extended session.
Despite the intense labour demands of setting up the Interactive whiteboard the returns on investment are enormous. The structure it provides to the lesson is enormous while having so much at your fingertips, even in rural schools. It certainly kept their attention focused on the board.
Well, this is where it all happened for this trip so far. Having no resources does not mean that they cannot produce talented learners. I found two young men itching to answer complex questions despite the language differences. I could see them motioning with their hands as to what the answers were. There was pride in their eyes as they shared their thoughts with their peers displaying great insight and maturity.
The session ran for over 2 1/2 hours and yet it felt as though the lesson was over before it started. It ended with what has become a tradition for my training session with the customary singing in celebration of education as only African voices can do. I get goose flesh everything I think about it and realize how lucky I am to share a few precious moments with these learners who are hungry for knowledge.
| Grade 8 | Grade 9 | |||
| Male | Female | Male | Female | |
| 13 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 14 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 1 |
| 15 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 6 |
| 16 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 17 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| 18 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 14 | 18 | 14 | 15 | |
| 32 | 29 | |||
| 61 |