Trust in Learning--Madagascar!

A postscript to the visit to one of the schools in Seville, Spain: the Principal wrote that it was named the best school in the region of Andalucia, one of a dozen regions and the second largest in Spain.  I would hope to have more contact with the school and perhaps they can come to the U.S. to talk about their outstanding work there.

So to Madagascar!  I have to say that I consider myself a fledgling traveler and my visit to this large island on the southeast coast of Africa reinforced how much I have to learn about this world.  I won’t bore you with the side stories of the gnawing anxiety of the publicity about its outbreak of plague, of having my luggage left in Paris on the way here (getting it back only when I returned), of the flood in the place I stayed the first bleary-eyed night arriving at 3 AM in Antananarivo (or “Tana” as the Malagasy people call the capital city), or of cracking a rib in a bad fall in the wet forest wearing the only shoes I had to observe lemurs.  What I will focus on is how I was deeply challenged in my Western notions in what I learned about its people, its economy, its culture and its schools.  Madagascar has a history of diversity, with influences from Indonesia, the Middle East, China and France.  Most of the people follow some form of Christianity but there are mosques that exist in Madagascar, as well.  The primary language is Malagsy but most people have some or full command of French.   The recent history of the country has been a turbulent one, including a military coup in 2009.  Because of this, there is considerable effort to present to the world that the island is stable. 

All through Europe, I learned about differences in among power based on race and social class, reflected in the schools.  It was important to me to learn here that the country has a “caste system” that isn’t discussed much but involved family at the center, royalty and their descendents, and that slavery existed, with the the darkest-skinned people serving those of lighter skin, sold to other parts of the Africa and the world.  More recently, there has been the practice of hiring laborers at lower prices based on their caste or skin color.  I also learned from those who are Malagasy that teachers can often bring that history and understanding of differences in power and race into their classrooms.

Tana is a city of industry, commerce and tourism, located in the middle of the island on a central highland.  Rich forests filled with wildlife rings these highlands on all sides of Madagascar.  One of the comments I heard several times from those born in Madagascar is that they see themselves as distinct from Africa, a unique blending of cultures and heritages.  I spent little time in Tanan, passing through to travel 10-12 hours by car, up winding terraced and rice-filled hills into the more mountainous part of the country.  Along the way, I saw first-hand how the commerce and cultural life of the Malagasy was tied to the roads, with clumps of markets, children, and working farmers with their zebu (a type of oxen used throughout the island).   The economy is one of the most challenged in the continent but the people are very industrious, such as this shop for handmade baskets and weaves.

The car lurched through all of the activity, slowly reaching an area called Ranomafana, which includes a forest park and one of the world’s most well-known conservation sites, Centre Valbio.  Here, researchers and students from all over the world come to study the area’s primates, reptiles, birds, bats and insects.  Pat Wright, its creator and executive director, is a professor at SUNY Stony Brook, a gracious powerhouse and intellect who has researched lemurs for over 30 years.  She is credited with discovering a new species of lemur and soon after, sought to establish park status through the government and founded Valbio.  Through her persistent and patient leadership, the center has become a model for environmental and economic sustainability, bringing in funding and jobs to the area.

Coming during the rainy season, I was fortunate to avoid the frequent downpours in my hiking through woods to see the wildlife.  And on another rainless day—Thanksgiving—I accompanied an artist and an educator to one of 20 schools that Centre Valbio helps to support.  A primary school serving a number of families in the area, we interrupted a meeting of the school’s director with parents, who are looking to make repairs to the building.  We asked about giving a “lesson” to the children and before too long, 54 children had gathered in the single classroom to create paintings of animals and other parts of nature around them.  The children were attentive, enthusiastic and cooperative with each other, children ranging from 3-9-years-old.   It is a holiday that I will never forget.  Later, I joined a group of American and Canadian researchers for a vegetarian Thanksgiving feast.  Vegetables are in abundance in Madagascar and prepared with a wide range of herbs and spices. 

The educational system, reflecting the challenges of the island’s economy, involves mandated schooling up through fifth grade.  While there have been recent national efforts to lengthen the time of compulsory education, the availability of high schools for those in rural areas is limited and very difficult to reach for working families.  Most children, therefore, contribute to the family’s economy after finishing their schooling in early adolescence.  Life is hard for most Malagasy people, with a life expectancy that is in the early 60s.  Education is still seen as a luxury more than a necessity for societal growth, although university education is an aspiration for an increasing number in the country. Special education is non-existent in Madagascar but, on the other hand, the culture and families treat all children equally as all contribute to the daily lives they undertake to survive.

Teachers need a Bachelors degree, make very little money, but can pursue graduate education at the university in Tanan.  On the last day in Madagascar, I spent stayed and spent time with a conservationist who coordinates the teacher education programs at the university, Hanta Rasamimanana.  Educated in Moscow and Paris in animal husbandry, zoology and ecosystems, she is just receiving a certification to supervise doctoral students after having had a Ph.D. and leading teacher education in the country for many years.  In the Madagascar system of higher education, people cannot become professors without 10 publications, experience supervising Masters-level students and five years of experience.   Hanta’s aunt was at the house where I visited, having recently retired as a teacher of physical education at the university.  The major influences in the educational system in the country’s curriculum is France but Hanta talked about the desire to innovate and with the help from colleagues at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, are hoping to create an integrated conservation and art education program through Centre Valbio this coming summer.

This was a personally memorable, challenging and educationally rewarding experience.  I would like to go back--when I don't lose my luggage!

Next stops:  Argentina and Chile!