Big thinking for little minds

Thinking big. That’s how one BMS World Mission worker has achieved something incredible. Thanks to the teacher training programme Annie Brown has developed, every child in Nepal will have the chance of a better education and a brighter future.

God takes the little and multiples it. Faith the size of a mustard seed ends up moving mountains. Five loaves and two fish feed 5,000.

One BMS education worker’s passion for great education results in changes to the way education is approached across Nepal. It’s truly awesome.

In Nepal, teachers don’t necessarily have much formal training. To counter this and make sure it doesn’t harm children’s chances, teacher trainer Annie Brown has developed a programme that she’s been delivering in Nepal for four years. The aim is to help teachers steer away from the traditional rote learning method, and to get both students and teachers more engaged in critical and creative thinking. Her programme has been adopted by the Nepali government as part of their exciting initiative to promote child-centred learning.

When learning becomes interesting, the results are astounding. Students in schools that have received Annie’s training are now more engaged in what they’re being taught, and their hopes and dreams for their futures are reaching new heights. “These kids could be anything,” says Annie Brown.

Watch this video to hear from Annie and meet one of the teachers she has trained.

After observing Annie’s team in action in January 2017, the Nepal Government's Ministry of Education was convinced. Annie was approached to roll out her training across the country’s entire education system, as part of the Nepali Government plans to improve it.



Starting in January 2018, the plan is for all teachers of students aged between five and 13 years old of all subjects in all government schools throughout Nepal to undergo training pioneered by Annie.

Nepal is made up of 75 regions. In these regions, there are 29,207 government schools. In those schools, there are 252,421 teachers who will have the chance to receive Annie’s training. That amounts to almost three and a half million children getting the opportunity for a better education. That’s impressive, however you look at it.

One teacher who has already received the training is Hari, who Annie has been working with for the past two years.

Hari has been teaching for 21 years in Lamjung District in central Nepal. And Annie’s teaching has changed the way he teaches – proof that you can always keep learning as a teacher. “After training I have more knowledge about how to motivate the students, how to actively participate them,” says Hari, who stars in the video above.

Having developed his skills to get children thinking and engaged in his classroom, Hari was recently named the top teacher out of 150 in his district. A huge achievement for Hari, and a testament to the value of the training you’re supporting. “Thanks to BMS for your support,” says Hari. “I’m also grateful to Annie, who’s the best instructor in my life.”

We’re very excited: the impact this training is having, and will continue to have, and the number of children that will be impacted is extraordinary. It’s all part of our mission to see more people on the margins access good-quality education. Thanks to your giving, children in Nepal now have so much more hope for their futures.

 

Find out more about Annie’s work and BMS-supported teacher training in Nepal. Read the latest issue of Engage, available to download here. You can also subscribe to get a paper copy today.

 

This story was originally published on the BMS World Mission website and is used with permission