Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he/she learned from school - Albert Einstein Rotary supports activities and training to improve education for all children and literacy for children and adults. The Rotary Foundation enables Rotarians to ensure that all people have sustainable access to basic education and literacy through the following goal:
Our goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy. We support education for all children and literacy for children and adults.
THIS MONTH OF EDUCATION
In September we celebrate the difference we, Rotarians, have and are making to uplift education in our communities. We donate books, desks and chairs, and repair roofs. We construct buildings, build gender-sensitive toilets, provide piped water or rainwater facilities, support training for teachers, and provide computers. In this, parents and communities share. But when it comes to learning, the burden is mostly left to teachers. However, parents irrespective of their education, can make a big difference. Every education project should therefore include a component stressing this point.
Do not send children to school on empty stomach. Many children, particularly in rural areas, skip breakfast because parents are tending to cows and goats. International studies show that children absorb their lessons 30-40% than when they hungry than when they have eaten.The solution is quite easy. Some food can be cooked the night before and set aside for children’s breakfast, and fruits are readily available.
30-60 minutes daily for after school study. It may work best to have a child study soon after returning home from school in a quiet setting before it gets dark, as 60% or more households in Uganda and Tanzania do not have electricity. Educators tell us that a child, who reviews the day’s work at school within the first 24 hours has better overall retention. Therefore, parents should avoid sending children immediately after returning home from school to farm or to do household chores until dark.
Make a game out of learning the alphabet and numbers. Did you know that children can master the alphabet and count up to 20 by the time they are two? Teach them through fun and games and shower praises whenever they are right. That helps to build positive self-image. Even for parents with limited education, teaching alphabets and numbers should not pose a problem. When school starts and the child finds herself ahead of others in class, she is likely to study harder not to lose her advantage.Read to your child. From when? From the time the child’s eyes can focus, recognize objects and is able to sit upright on the lap. That reassuring and loving embrace and voice of a parent leave positive emotional imprint on the child’s psyche, drawing the child to reading for life. Reading well, you know, is the foundation to good learning.