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Current Status - July 2002
The overall state of LVEP development in Zimbabwe
The pilot of LVEP in Zimbabwe started five years ago, in 1996, at Prince Edward
School in Harare when a teacher of English, Natalie Ncube, was asked by the
Brahma Kumaris to organise a venue for launching the book ?Living Values: A
Guidebook?. After the launching program, Natalie became interested in a
chapter in the book on classroom activities for students. She introduced Living
Values in her English language and literature classes. Consequently, she was
frequently invited to many schools in Zimbabwe to share her experience with
other teachers.
Since then, LVEP has developed and gained considerable interest and respect.
Many schools and other sites in Zimbabwe are implementing the program. Some of
the trainers from Zimbabwe have been trained in Oxford, U.K., and Mauritius.
Offered in schools as an alternative to corporal punishment, the Living Values
activities have been utilised by enthusiastic teachers and child counsellors.
LVEP trainees are encouraged to use visualisation, conflict resolution, creating
a value-based atmosphere, the balance of love and law, establishing classroom
rules in a collaborative manner and "The Pygmalion Effect" (see
below).
The trainee-teachers are volunteers from primary schools, secondary schools
subject teachers, career and guidance teachers from Harare schools at the ?Discipline
at Schools? workshops and trainee counsellors from Zimbabwe Institute of
Systemic Therapy. At this time, plans are underway to involve more whole schools
as only a few schools have had the entire staff trained. Most schools have only
representatives or interested individuals trained. Just four schools have
introduced Living Values for the whole school with assemblies and different
subject teachings. At the assemblies, a few moments of silence are observed and
a value statement is read by the Head of the school. Staff are encouraged to
carry that statement into the classrooms through school subjects and to a form
periods with a class teacherS. Living Values presentations and visualisation
exercises are offered during staff meetings. There are display notice boards
that offer more information on Living Values and some materials are downloaded
from LVEP web site.
The LVEP in Zimbabwe will be developed with the aim to improve academic
performance through improvement and modification of behaviour of pupils and
teachers and through promoting Zimbabwean cultural values. The role of a teacher
in Zimbabwe is very important. LVEP will help Zimbabwean teachers to be
self-empowered, more effective, appreciate their own values, become content,
discover personal inner depths, teach by example and become role models for
pupils, parents and society at large.
Our plans for 2002 are to introduce Living Values to parents through PTAs
(Parent-Teacher Associations) and to Street Kids through the organisation ?Streets
Ahead?. To this effect, LVEP trainers presented ?Staff Development
Program for Success in Management through Living Values and Positive Attitudes?
or ?Ability to Maintain Better Working Relationships Among Staff Regardless
their Position, Culture, Religion, Race and Sex? to the Ministry of Education
and to the Regional Conference on Values Education in Mauritius in December
2001. Also, Zimbabwe has become one of the countries which took part in
international filming on Living Values in October 2000.
Values Education as an alternative to corporal punishment
In many schools in Zimbabwe, teaching manners is one of the most important
aspects in the upbringing of the younger generation. Unfortunately, corporal
punishment is still lawful and supported by the Ministry of Education. Practised
in many schools, especially boys? schools, it is supposed to make the pupils
mannered ?under the lash?. Many pupils are polite, respectful, responsible
and punctual not because these values appeal to their senses but because they
are afraid of punishment by the prefects (manual labour) or by the headmaster or
his deputy (caning).
When the focus in education is not only on the achievement of exam results but
also on the development of positive human personality, teachers have the
opportunity to introduce an individual approach in their teaching, therefore,
seeing the solution of the problem not only ?in a stick?. More than once,
the attention of the ministry of education has been drawn by the Zimbabwe
National Guidance and Counselling Association, progressive teachers of the
country and the organisation ?Education Without Fear?, to the idea of
abolishing corporal punishment and finding an alternative that would make a
pupil realise his own wrong doings and behave in a manner acceptable and
expected by the parents, the school, headmaster, teachers and society.
?not only an alternative to corporal punishment
Living Values has become not only a good alternative to corporal punishment but
also to other ineffective forms of punishment. Some teachers and prefects used
to use "lines" or "rainbow lines" as a form of punishment
where they make "a culprit" write 1000 times " I am
stupid", or "I am dizzy", or "I will never do it
again." At times the children did not understand why they were being
punished. Such forms of punishment increased fear, anger, blame, resentment, and
hate. Such negative feelings inhibit learning and personal growth.
Instead, teachers have been encouraged to ask pupils to write something that
will make them think and feel, search deeper inside, to write a poem or an essay
about how they felt or their experience when they did something wrong or
unacceptable.
The Pygmalion Effect - treat the child not the way he is, but the way you
want him to be.
In George Bernard Shaw?s "Pygmalion", Eliza Doolittle explains,
" You see, really and truly, apart from the things anyone can pick up (the
dressing and the proper way of speaking and so on), the difference between a
lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she's treated. I shall
always be a flower girl to professor Higgins because he always treats me as a
flower girl, and always will, but I know I will be a lady to you, because you
always treat me as a lady, and always will."
Concluding Thought
Zimbabwe, considering its long colonial and oppressive system of government and
society, is still too young and has too many strong memories to eradicate these
problems easily. Therefore, whilst much of the country harbours some of the
grudges and unhappiness of the past, we believe that we are going forward and
that we will produce understanding, level-headed and decent people and indeed
leaders for the future of our country.
There is a hope indeed that more and more of our teachers will embrace the
concepts of Living Values and values education and bring more and more knowledge
and influence to bear on the schools. These concepts will radiate outward from
our schools into the society at large. The society as a whole will
benefit.
Activities this last year:
August 2001 ? Presentation and Report to the Headmaster and staff
of Prince Edward School (PES) in Harare on the LVEP Co-ordinators meeting and
TTT in Oxford in July 2001.
September 2001 ? Presentation to Prince Edward School staff on
Peace. LVEP Training of PES staff. Over 100 teachers have been trained, many use
it in their classrooms.
September 2001 ? PES in Harare has become the Headquarters for
Living Values in Zimbabwe. A LVEP display has been put up and materials and
lesson suggestions are available to teachers.
September 2001 ? Living Values have become the part of school
assemblies.
19 October 2001 ? LVEP display had been prepared for Annual
Speech and Prize-Giving Day.
30 October 2001 ? proposal for Living Values: An Educational
Program has been presented by LVEP cordinator and PES Headmaster to the ministry
of Education (the Document of Proposal is attached).
November 2001 ? PES Headmaster and Living Values Co-ordinator
produced the document ?Staff Development Program for Success in Management
through Living Values and Positive Attitudes? or ?Ability to Maintain Better
Working Relationships Among Staff Regardless their Position, Culture, Religion,
Race and Sex.? and presented it to the Ministry of Education.
November 2001? Logos for the Values of Co-operation, Freedom,
Happiness, Love, Peace, Respect, Simplicity, Tolerance, Unity were drawn by a
former PE student, Grant Staff.
4-6 December 2001 ? LVEP Coordinator and the Director of Schools
from the Ministry of Education attended the African Regional Conference on
Values Education in Mauritius. Zimbabwe presented the following at the
Conference:
- Report ?Living Values Program in Zimbabwe? for the Theme ?Indeginous
Values in Africa ? Exploration and Transmission?
- The document ?Staff Development Program for Success in Management
through Living Values and Positive Attitudes? or ?Ability to Maintain
Better Working Relationships Among Staff Regardless their Position, Culture,
Religion, Race and Sex.?
- Presentation ?Choices Make our Lives?.
The contribution Zimbabwe has made to the development of Values Education in
the African Region has been acknowledged, and the personal initiative and
valuable commitment of LVEP Coordinator for Zimbabwe has been placed on record
in the Mauritius Institute of Education.
January 2002 ? LVEP Presentation to parents at SDA (School
Development Association) Annual General Meeting. The role of parents, especially
the role of a father, was stressed and the parents were encouraged to do
training in LVEP.
February 2002 - LVEP Training for Secondary Schools Teachers at
?Discipline at Schools Workshop?. 36 teachers from 35 schools have been
trained.
April 2002 - National Association of Non-Governmental
Organizations (NANGO), which is the umbrella body of NGOs in Zimbabwe, has been
seeking contacts and partnership with Living Values. They have shown interest in
LVEP activities and programme. They have stated that values need constant
emphasis in the Zimbabwe community today, especially for youth, and made the
decision to pass Values to NGO Youth Forum in Zimbabwe.
May 2002 - LVEP Training for Secondary Schools Teachers at ?Discipline
at Schools Workshop?. 37 teachers from 28 schools have been trained.
June 2002 ? LVEP presentation to 200 Headmasters of Zimbabwe
Secondary Schools at NASH (National Association of School Headmasters)
Conference at Victoria Falls.
June 2002 ? the first round of Public Speaking Contest was held.
The speakers were encouraged to make their speeches on Values. The winning
speech will be presented at LVEP TTT in Oxford in July 2002.
June 2002 ? a paper ?Development of Values through Sports?
was presented to staff by the Headmaster of PES.
Forthcoming LVEP events in Zimbabwe in 2002:
July 2002 ? the translation of LVEP statements into local
Zimbabwean languages, Shona and Ndebele, is ongoing and will be presented at
LVEP TTT in Oxford in July 2002.
July 2002 ? promoting indigenous values through traditional
Zimbabwe craft is ongoing, and values woodcarvings and soap-stone mini-statues
will be presented at LVEP TTT in Oxford in July 2002.
July 2002 ? the second round of National Public Speaking Contest
will be held. The speakers will be encouraged to make their speeches on values.
August 2002 ? LVEP will be presented at NGCA (National Guidance
and Counselling Association) AGM in Bulawayo with a view of organising LVEP
training for Child Counsellors.
August 2002 ? LVEP will be presented at NAPH (National
Association of Primary Heads) Conference in Nyanga with a view of organising
further LVEP training for primary school teachers.
Number of Sites Using
Living Values Education
Total number of sites
50
Impact
This year we focused on the values of co-operation, freedom, happiness, love,
loyalty, patience, peace, respect, responsibility, simplicity, tolerance and
unity.
Zimbabwean youth share their thoughts on values:
Cooperation
Co-operation is needed in sports?(T. Gwatirisa)
Freedom
Freedom is important for all of us so that we are free to express ourselves
and to be who we are. We all need to be free to make positive choices. (T.
Munonyara)
Happiness
We are happy at PE because we do not just have fun but we also learn and
perform well on the sports field. (N. Zigomo)
Happiness is to enjoy what you do. (T. Gwatirisa)
Happiness improves the way I interact with others and improves my personal
relationships. I believe true happiness comes after hard work and good
discipline. (T. Munonyara)
Love
Through love for each other here at PE we were able to achieve what we are
and live as one big happy family. (A. Mambo)
Loyalty
Stay loyal to your friends by not giving out their secrets. (C. Ganye)
We are loyal to our school, that is why we are the best. (F. Lakhi)
Patience
Patience is a virtue, which teaches you that it is worth waiting for. In
order to get through life with a positive attitude we must be patient for things
to happen and we must not rush into things. (T. Mwinjilo)
Peace
Peace is an important value. If you create your inner peace with yourself
there will be less problems and mental stress to your brain. (B. Chimulu)
Respect
We need respect on order to get along with each other. DON?T EXPECT
RESPECT FROM SOMEONE YOU DON?T RESPECT! (T. Munonyara)
Prince Edward School teaches pupils that they should grow up with RESPECT.
Respecting someone for his/her age or for what he/she achieved in life.
(Anonymous)
At PE we respect each other and we are like brothers to each other. (N. Zogomo)
Respect is a value that you have earned and developed because with respect to
others you will have respect for yourself. (B. Rumisha)
Responsibility
Responsibility is a very important value to me because I am not only
representing myself, I am representing my school on its functions. (B. Rumisha)
Simplicity
There is no need to complicate things where not necessary. Be simple and
many problems will be easy to solve. (Anonymous)
Tolerance
Tolerance is the key to many relationships because we learn to tolerate
other people?s habits that irritate us, so in the end everyone is HAPPY. (C.
Ganye)
Tolerance is being able to tolerate other people?s thoughts and actions by not
showing your anger. (H. Murombo)
Unity
Prince Edward School teaches us UNITY, which we see when First team rugby is
playing and all the boys of PE, old boys, parents and teachers are supporting.
(N. Zigomo)
Unity is a very important value. ?United we stand, divided we fall?. Things
will only develop when people are united. (S. Martens)
Unity at our school is greatly honoured. Our school succeeds in all its thugs
because we live as a united family. We work together, we struggle together and
we achieve together, which makes us a united school. (A. Chirairo)
What values Prince Edward School has taught me!
Three years ago, I walked into Prince Edward with only basic values that one
is taught when still a child. Three years down the time, now I possess values
that will sustain me for life. I have managed to cultivate LOVE for my school,
and out of this LOVE ? LOYALTY, RESPECT and DISCIPLINE have branched out. I
can now stand out above the rest as a gentleman who possesses VALUES that will
ensure that those who meet or confront me will be able to look up at me as a
gentleman with real Living Values. (G. Mutyambizi)
Time Out for a teacher!
I would like to share my experience when I had a Time Out for... myself.
In a reasonably usually well-behaved and respectful class, the boys all of a
sudden decided to be silly.
Unfortunately, that day I had a horrible cough with a hush voice, however, I was
trying to teach the boys the tragic characters of W. Shakespeare's play 'Julius
Caesar', who know that they are walking along the wrong path and doubt their
actions. We had a very interesting discussion during which the boys indicated
what vices the heroes had and what values they were missing.
All of a sudden, a group of, let's call them, disruptive characters, started
'coughing', copying my cough. Not only! Somebody was trying to even copy my
voice! I told the boys that I was not feeling well and that they should have
compassion and respect towards their poor teacher. No reprimand could help and I
walked out of the classroom (instead of raising my voice, becoming angry or
WORSE! sending them for corporal punishment to the Deputy Headmaster's office).
I left the boys by themselves with a lot of individual work to do. Mind, this
was the class with whom I always had an excellent rapport and enjoyed many
interesting discussions and values lessons. This was just one of 'those' days!
This time, with my harsh voice I told the boys that I was not going to teach
them Literature any more - they may as well do their own individual studies.
This went on for a couple of more lessons: no class discussions, no stories,
just written work, work and work which had to be handed in immediately at the
beginning of each lesson and increased each time. Time out for me! (But gosh! I
had sleepless nights trying to mark all that extra work!) The deputy head, who
is in favour of corporal punishment and who accidentally overheard 'the story',
told me not to bother because 'I am the one who is ?punishing? myself with a
lot of marking', but to send the whole class for caning. He even offered to
visit the class. I told him that I preferred to sort it out with the boys
myself.
After a couple of more lessons when I walked into the classroom, the boys stood
still like soldiers, in incredible silence. I told them to sit down. They did
not. All together, they said they were very sorry and that they missed NORMAL
lessons with me. They did not want me to 'time out' any more.
...I did not have any disciplinary problems with this class any more.
A Russian expression says,' A doctor has to inflict pain on his patient so that
in future the patient would feel better'. Pretty much the same I can say about a
teacher.
English Literature teacher
Zimbabwe
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