I have been on the hunt since several of you asked in October for a surprisingly difficult to find answer: How many students decide to continue with school after 9th grade?
I finally found the answer today: Around one in four. Diez.md published an article in August titled ”Only 26% of middle school graduates enrolled in high school. The great majority opted for humanities.” They reported that for this school year, 2016-2017, 7,378 students enrolled in tenth grade. Throughout the country, 355 high schools were able to offer tenth grade classes - half of these (175) had enough enrolled students to set up two classes in tenth grade (i.e. Class 10-A and Class 10-B). Of the Moldova's 389 high school, 15% did not have enough potential students try to enroll to be able to offer tenth grade. Students who signed up for those schools will have to try to enroll in and attend another high school. I am still looking for information on what proportion of students who graduate middle school go on to a professional school instead of high school. Where as high schools ideally prepare students to go to university, professional schools teach trades such as carpentry, plumbing, sewing and offer an alternative form of career preparation.
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My main partner for my volunteer service is Boris Dînga Middle & High School (Liceul Teoretic „Boris Dînga”). I, necessarily, spend a lot of time there - I'm at school Monday through Friday, during the semester and during school vacations. I am very lucky as a Volunteer because I have something rare: My own room in the school. We're a relatively large school with 500 students and 36 or so teachers. I've been told that during Boris Dînga's earlier years (when Mr. Dînga himself was the School Director), the school was much bigger. The student body was twice as large and so was the faculty. All the buildings in the school grounds were used, not just the main building like today (the other buildings are empty, used only for storage). The main building has a wing with three floors of classrooms, a connecting hallway called the gallery, and a wing with two floors that has the kitchen, gym, arts & crafts rooms, and a theater (you saw this theater in the posts about Balul Boboceilor). The wing with classrooms has mostly larger rooms and a few smaller ones. Each teacher is designated their own room and classes move from room to room for lessons (this is not universal - I know of at least one Volunteer serving in a school where the teachers move room to room while the classes stay put). Because our middle school classes are large (28-32 students per class), teachers need rooms with that capacity. So, very few can use the six rooms on floors two & three that are small and have the capacity for only around 20 students. All of this led to the initial windfall I found when I arrived: While many new Volunteers have to work with their school to identify a shelf or cabinet where they can store their things and a spot in which to work, I have a whole room to myself with a door that locks! Check it out below in a photosphere I threw together!
For a recent school document, I helped go around and take pictures of classrooms. For comparison, I'm posting a slide-show below.
Many of you asked where there are still cultural influences from the era of Moldova being a Soviet republic, part of the Soviet Union. I hope to address this more thoroughly in future posts, but in the meantime I want to share this video made by Peace Corp Volunteer Haley B. and European Volunteer Service Volunteer Cosma B-R about the autonomous region of Gagauzia:
In my last post, I shared several class schedules. In a post on perceptions around time, I mentioned the phenomenon of cancelled classes. There are reasons I think are common between the US & Moldovan school systems that result in cancelling classes: An all-school assembly, inclement weather such as large amounts of snow that can't be cleared for safe travel, natural disasters like flooding, or major epidemics of a communicable disease. There are some reasons I've encountered here that I haven't heard of causing a class to be outright cancelled in the US: Students cleaning classrooms or the school grounds, attending/performing in a concert or practicing to prepare for one, staff meetings being scheduled in the same time as classes, the teacher being out due to illness or medical treatment, or the teacher being out due to attending training or mandatory district-level meetings. In the US, the initial part of that list would not be considered grounds for cancelling a class and for the last two a substitute teacher would be called in. The phenomenon of cancelled classes does not happen in every school, but it is widespread enough that it is addressed in trainings for Volunteers and studied by outside educational researchers. I know one Volunteer whose school is proactive about not cancelling classes. All extracurricular activities are scheduled outside of scheduled class time. Staff meetings are held outside of class hours. The director sets a standard that class is held when it is scheduled. However, many other Volunteers experience regular and seemingly unexpected class cancellations. They work together on finding creative and respectful strategies to try to get their classes held, to proactively avoid having their classes cancelled as much as possible. According to the 2008 Baseline Study on Basic Education in the Republic of Moldova from the Perspective of Child-Friendly Schools, class cancellation in both the short term and long term is a national concern. It is a complex problem with many adverse factors at play. There is a national teacher shortage for many reasons, meaning that there are sometimes simply not enough teachers (particularly qualified ones) to go around. In a small school, there may be only one teacher for a subject. If, for example, the English teacher is sick, there is no one else to teach that class. Sometimes students experience long-term cancellations of their classes. The school may keep the class period on their official schedule, but the students do not actually study the given subject. An example from the study: “While the biology teacher was sick, we had the lessons with the kindergarten educator… she didn’t know anything and told us to read and not to make noise.” (F., 9th form, rural secondary school). Another example from the study: "In the 9th [grade], chemistry was scheduled in our timetable, but we did mathematics and later these lessons weren’t recovered – we didn’t have chemistry lessons for one year” (F., 9th form, rural secondary school). In practice, teachers are usually only paid for the hours they actually spend in front of a classroom. They are not compensated for the time spent preparing for classes, providing support to students who need extra help, grading tests/papers, or taking care of general paperwork related to the class. This leads some teachers to take an "overload" of classes in order to increase their income, scheduling 24-35 hours of in-class hours per week. This amount is recognized as unmanageable and ineffective in nearly every country's school system. This system incentivizes teachers not preparing/updating lesson plans, spending classtime to do their grading and paperwork, and reporting in their school documents that classes they cancelled as held or made up even if they were not. That last part plays a role in how the research on class cancellation is done. Teachers documenting that they've held classes that they didn't is a wide-spread, unfortunate, and well-known phenomenon. It is also grounds for sanction, as it is inaccurate book-keeping. Researchers are unlikely to get accurate data should they check school records for cancellations or ask teachers directly (who have very real, reasonable incentives to not report honestly). So, researchers interview large amounts of students and their parents in an effort to get more accurate data. Here's what was found in the most recent and thorough study I can find: On average, one third of students have all their scheduled classes in a week - meaning nearly two-thirds of students have one or more class cancelled. One quarter of all students have one class cancelled, 15% have two cancelled. One in twenty have six or more classes cancelled in a typical week. As I said, regular class cancellation is not universal: Just shy of one quarter of students report having had all of their classes in the month preceding the study. Just shy of another quarter had two or one classes cancelled. This does mean, though, that nearly half of students missed three or more classes in the preceding month. So, what happens when class is cancelled? Thankfully, the same study looked into that: "Despite the fact that the school boards strive to minimize the negative effects of absent teaching staff in the classroom, efficient use of the training time remains more a wish than a reality. In order to retain the children in school and ensure that they attend the subsequent lessons, in many cases other activities that cannot fully recoup the lost time are organized for children (Figure 19). Most of the time (46 per cent) when the relevant teacher is absent, the children are supervised by another teacher. One fourth of children state that the lessons are replaced. There are cases (4 per cent) when the children go to canteen, bar or park. Some of them ask leave for the subsequent lessons and go home. Only few of those interviewed declared that they learn the respective topic by themselves or prepare for the lessons that follow." p. 72
It has been a long time since I've regularly been in a US school, but my impression is that our system is quite different around the idea of cancelling classes. What about at Stillwater Junior High? How does this compare with your experience there? Among the many great questions you had about schools, Ivy asked about priorities: ”What is most important in Moldovan education (Math, Science, Art, etc., and friendship, leadership, organization, etc.)? ” In my personal observations, from my perspective as an American guest for 3+ semesters, of great importance seem: academic success in terms of grades & performance on tests/in competitions, looking neat & orderly, and group cohesion. In my first post comparing US and Moldovan school systems, I noted how a whole class section moves through all their classes together. I want to share with you the class schedule for several classes so that you can consider which types of subjects are prioritized, at least at my school. I encourage you to consider which disciplines are prioritized through the course work. The length of a student's school day varies based on how many classes they have that day. If there is no class listed during a class period, it means the students are free to go home. So, for example, on Mondays, students in 6-C will leave school at 1:25 or at 2:15, depending whether they take the optional Religion class. On Tuesdays, their school day ends at 12:30; on Wednesdays & Fridays at 1:25; on Thursdays at 11:35. So, what is your impression? What disciplines are emphasized? Which do you think are not? How do these schedules compare with your own?
Wine plays an important role in Moldovan culture. Growing grapes and making wine (and spirits) is a regular activity in most rural and semi-urban homes. Wine is a centerpiece in many social interactions.
Moldova has several esteemed wineries. This post is about an adventure my closest 299 friends and I did this weekend. Cricova Wine Run is a 10K that is 4/5 underground - racing through 8 of the over 200 km of tunnels in the winery.
(I'm in the background in the blue hat at 0:22)
The event was popular if cost prohibitive for locals - the cheapest entry cost was a quarter or more of an average monthly salary for many. It's been all over the local news and social media. It is a novel use of a national treasure and drew several tourists. Since Moldova regularly ranks among the least visited countries in the world, it being a tourist draw is noteworthy. Below, learn more about Moldovan wine culture and the Cricova winery through a video that is part of the usual English-language winery tour offered at Cricova. I took pictures this month while doing an important regular task: Paying our bills. I've been doing this monthly for over a year now, so the process has developed a semblance of normalcy. Paying bills is an oft complained about part of adulting. It's not fun, but it was not something that previously took up much of my time. Chris and I set up automatic bill pay on everything - our phones, internet, energy/gas, etc. The only reason we didn't automate paying our rent was that we lived downstairs from our landlord and taking a check up to her was a lovely excuse to visit. Here, we had to learn how to pay bills all over again. We moved into our apartment in October 2015. I would love to say we roll through the process smoothly, but we often don't. What bills do we pay? We receive and pay the following bills:
We also pay rent to our host family/landlord. The apartment we live in is owned by their daughter who, like a quarter of adults in Moldova, lives and works abroad. Who really pays the bills? Not us. As Peace Corps Volunteers, we receive a stipend to cover the cost of living. We are expected to use this stipend in our community while here, living on par with our colleagues. We don't get a salary, we get money to house, feed, and generally care for us that should be completely spent here. Thus, Peace Corps pays our rent and utilities (along with everything for our general, simple living). How do we get the bills? This is where it starts to get tricky. The meters for two of our utilities are inside our apartment. We must read them ourselves and leave the numbers written on a post-it note on our door around the end of the month. Initially, we were told to do this on the 29th of the month. But, then our host mother called us several times on the 28th or 29th of the month, irritated that she got a call from the utilities company asking for the numbers. So, now we post this on the 26th of the month. The person who comes around to read the notes sometimes marks a check on the paper to let us know they've read it. Sometimes, they don't. Sometimes they come around on the 27th, sometimes later in the month; usually we have no idea. Last month, a person called out to me on the street and explained that she is who comes to get our water readings. She gave me her phone number so that I can call her with the number instead of posting it. I've done both last and this month. Throughout the second and third week of the month, bills arrive in our mailbox. To our knowledge, workers from each utility company come in person to put them there. I wait for all the bills to come in before the next step. How do pay them? I get cash from the bank then pay them in person! Some months, this only takes about half an hour to complete. Other months, it takes up much of my afternoon. Below, the process in pictures! Beth O. is a Peace Corps Volunteer who arrived in Moldova at the start of June, 2016. She moved to her host village mid-August and teaches English in a local school with Moldovan counterparts. In many ways, she has a more rural life, a more typical Volunteer experience than I do. She recently shared about a day in her life through the series Call It a Day and I think there are many great insights into rural Moldovan life in this post! ”In Moldova, teachers only have to come to school when they have scheduled lessons. Today, I have to observe another teacher’s first period class, so I drag myself out of bed a bit after 6:30. I have trouble getting up, so I’ve already snoozed my alarm three times.
Before getting out of bed, I usually turn my data on and check my email, Facebook, and messenger. I usually sleep in a nightgown, so as soon as I get out of bed, I throw on some warm leggings, thick socks, and a sweater, as well as my down winter coat and a hat. It’s pretty chilly in my room in the morning, as my house is heated solely with a soba, or wood stove.” Read the full story here. Avery asks, ”What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing Peace Corps in the future, but is unsure about it?" Immediately and briefly, I would say: Good, it's GOOD that you're uncertain. Flippantly with a smile, I would say: The application process will give you time to think it through. Back to my usual long-windedness... Service in the Peace Corps has changed over the years and will continue to do so. This is a good thing, a sign of a healthy organization that is changing with the times. Whether a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) 50 years ago or now, the commitment one makes is intense. Thus, intense thinking (including doubting) is helpful and positive before making the commitment. There are many useful questions to think through when deciding whether to apply to become a volunteer:
I am excited every time I meet someone who is thinking about serving in the Peace Corps. I can relate to that wish: I wanted to serve from the time I was an adolescent until I finally was in the plane on the way to training at 35 years old. I met with a recruiter as I finished my undergraduate studies and thankfully was given thoughtful questions instead of speeches. I identified then that I was not ready to make the 27 month commitment. I made it all the way through the application process at 28 years old, while finishing my graduate studies, only to be deferred due to my father passing away. This opened up another opportunity that I am glad I embraced because it has truly made me a better Volunteer now. When I applied again, it took 22 months of waiting and preparation - over a year for an invitation, 9 months from then until leaving for training. I know the format of a blog post means I talked at you all rather than asked a question and listened to a response. I hope that all who are interested in being a PCV in the future have thoughtful people who let you work through these questions and far more to see whether that interest is something to pursue and commit to. That's what I truly have to say to someone who's considering Peace Corps service. My apologies to the internet - all images in this post were taken from Google image searches without saving info on the original sources.
Two other posts for your consideration: 4 Reasons You Shouldn't Join the Peace Corps (And 1 You Should) Ten Things I Wish I Knew Before Joining the Peace Corps Today has me reflecting once again on a personal struggle I attribute to cultural differences in how we view & treat time.
Causes of Reflection I’m writing today’s post while sitting in a staff meeting. I was planning to be teaching Health Education to 7th graders right now, but for the second week in a row we’ve had to cancel class due to a mandatory meeting for all teachers being scheduled at the same time. There are ten classes that are supposed to be held during this time (three classes of 6th graders in Religion, six classes having Homeroom, and my Health Education class). My understanding is that this meeting was called this morning. A staff member walked the halls and announced to each teacher that it would be happening. Then, teachers and students knew that their 7th period class is cancelled – the students headed home early knowing they may make up the class another time. Another situation from today: I realized that yesterday was Mihai Eminescu Day when I came into school and saw a lovely display about the poet. I began asking people whether there would be an event at school for this holiday. Each person I asked said, “yes, there will be.” Early in the morning, the response to my inquiry “when?” was, “Maybe today, I’ll tell you when I know.” A few hours later the response was, “Tomorrow, but we don’t know what time exactly.” Now, the response is, “Wednesday, definitely Wednesday, after 6th period, in the auditorium.” “After 6th period” means during 7th period. There are nine classes scheduled 7th period on Wednesdays: Three have Health Education, four have Homeroom hour, one has IT/Computers, and one has an advanced math class. We all just deduce that we will have these cancelled and may have to be rescheduled. A third moment from today: With my 11th grade Health Education class, our lesson today centers around showing a video. I wanted to use a classroom that is usually empty that has a SmartBoard. I went the period before to try to stake a claim, but our PE teacher was already there with a class. I asked and he said he planned to use it the next period as well. So, I went to another teacher who usually has a projector we carry from room to room. She’s planning to use it the next period. So, I went to a teacher who has a SmartBoard and asked if we could swap classrooms. She’s planning to use it the next period, but reminded me that another teacher has just received a SmartBoard. So, I went to this teacher – she was NOT planning to use it the next period so we could swap classrooms for our respective classes. We announced this to students only as they were arriving at their usual classrooms at the start of classtime. I can’t “book” a room in advance or schedule to have a projector because a process of making reservations doesn’t exist. I simply must find what I need when I need it, moving materials or students around or changing plans at that moment as needed. Cultural Perceptions of Time One of the many ways in which cultures differ is how people understand and use time, how our concepts of time affect our interpersonal interactions. Below is a description from Culture Matters of the two extremes of this dimension: Monochronic and polychronic. As with the individualism/collectivism spectrum, no culture is exclusively monochronic or polychronic – neither are individuals – but most cultures tend to be more one than the other. "Monochronic — Time is the given and people are the variable. The needs of people are adjusted to suit the demands of time—schedules, deadlines, etc. Time is quantifiable, and a limited amount of it is available. People do one thing at a time and finish it before starting something else, regardless of circumstances. Polychronic — Time is the servant and tool of people. Time is adjusted to suit the needs of people. More time is always available, and you are never too busy. People often have to do several things simultaneously, as required by circumstances. It’s not necessary to finish one thing before starting another, nor to finish your business with one person before starting in with another." I was raised to have a much more monochronic view of time than a polychronic one. While my ability to be flexible around time has developed over the years (and has been further developed here through days like today and more), my internal default is to perceive time as quantifiable & limited and to expect myself and others to adapt to set plans rather than the inverse. My experience of Moldovan schools, trainings, outings, projects, and social interactions is that people generally view time through a more polychronic lens than a monochronic one. Everything can be adapted to, interruptions are normal and take priority over current tasks, and people should adapt to changes in ”planned” time. I attribute times where I feel challenged like this to my monochronic default: I focus on the specific amount of time allotted to my class and the plans I had for that time, rather than on the importance of the item that has come up to take its place. For my colleagues, today’s circumstances changed so we simply have to do something else – there’s always more time for that class we missed. Additional note... I would be remiss to not mention that my poor language skills affect this situation – I speak Romanian at an Intermediate High/Advanced Low level. I also speak awkwardly formally due to learning all my language skills from older teachers who taught me “literary” Romanian, without slang, without the ease of flow of someone who spends much time talking with a host family. I understand that I am difficult to talk with, that I don’t understand everything that is said around me. Even with that, though, I often find that my colleagues for whom the language of school is their primary language of communication, they also don’t know about what is happening when with what I (with my monochronic worldview) consider to be much advance notice. |
Rebecca LehmanHealth Education volunteer serving at Boris Dînga Middle & High School in Criuleni, Moldova. Archives
May 2017
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