From February to May 2019, five students from Belgium stayed in Rwanda for an internship with VVOB. They taught biology, physics and physical education in lower and upper secondary in three schools. The internship was in line with VVOB’s five-year programme on Leading Teaching and Learning Together in Rwanda. The knowledge and practices imparted by the interns increased the learners’ passion of science and improved teachers’ skills pertaining to teaching science topics. On the other hand, the Belgian student teachers learnt how to teach big classes as well as teaching with limited resources.
Coping with differences
The student teachers come from Artevelde University College Ghent, Odisee University College, University College Leuven Limburg (UCLL) and the University of Ghent. They conducted the internship programme at G.S Rosa Mystica, an inclusive school, Saint Mary’s High School Kiruhura in Southern Province, and G.S Rwamagana Protestant in Eastern Province. Marie Heleen Pype and Roel De Turk from Artevelde University College taught physics at Rosa Mystica and G.S Rwamagana Protestant respectively. Liese Boone who studies at Odisee College and Marie Marieke De Gayter from UCLL taught biology at Rosa Mystica and G.S Rwamagana, while Rien Schockaert from Ghent University taught physical education at Saint Mary’s High School Kiruhura.
At the beginning of the internship, students struggled with the big classes “I liked teaching, but I was challenged at the beginning. The size of classes differs from the ones I’m used to. Some classes have more than 50 students, while we are used to classes of less than 30 learners in Belgium,” said Ms Pype. Liese Boone studies at Odisee College and taught biology at Rosa Mystica school. She faced similar challenges. “Classes were big, up to 60 students! But within two weeks I learnt how to manage them and started knowing my students more. In the end it was really fun and the students enjoyed it!” she said.
Read more on VVOB website at https://rwanda.vvob.org/news/belgian-students-experience-science-teaching-rwandan-schools
From February to May 2019, five students from Belgium stayed in Rwanda for an internship