English Teacher in Rural Schools

About The Placement

We offer placements among all classes of the Ghanaian education system, these are:

• Primary School
• Junior High School
• Secondary School

Volunteers will be placed in Primary and Junior High Schools which are located together therefore adding an extra level of flexibility to meet everyones needs. Secondary is usually reserved for qualified individuals as once students have completed this level they are university ready.

English is the official language of Ghana however in the rural areas many children still speak their local dialects in school. We hope by bringing English speaking volunteers to the area, it will enhance the children's understanding of vocabularly perhaps that they would not be introduced to usually and different accents to assist with their learning later in life. As the children get older and study further advanced subjects theses are all taught in English so a key understanding of English is critical for these children to continue on to further education.

Why This Placement?

Many of the rural schools we visit are struggling with their English learning. Often the children only start learning this later in life so miss out on the crucial early development stage when they can pick up on the language quickly. It is crucial for the children to learn English as by the time they get to Junior High School their advanced subjects such as Maths, Science etc are all taught in English. Without being able to pass these exams many children are often stuck to low income jobs such as farming or other manual labour careers.

We see it each term that when we send our volunteers to a school, even just by three months time the children are much more comfortable having full conversations in English and we hope to keep up with this momentum to give them the best shot at the life they want as they grow into young adults!

What Is Included In This Placement?

Although this placement is FREE of charge the following services are still included at no extra charge. This will include free accomodation and the use of the utilities, you will have use of the kitchen, electricity throughout the house and running water which is a luxury among the area of Kwahu. Daily transport to and from the project sites will also be covered for free by our organisation's vehicles. As well as the above mentioned we also offer a night stay in our director's house in Accra (Trassaco Estates) on your day of arrival to the country where you can relax after your journey and use the wifi to update your friends and family that you have arrived safely.

How Do I Get To The Placement?

You will be living in a shared volunteer house with modern amenities, a member of staff will live on site and be able to offer any guidance or advice you may need. You will be taken to the project site in the morning and returned home in the afternoon for free by our organisation's vehicles. The town in which the voluneer house is based is fairly developed with local shops, restaurants, bars, banks and markets. However just a short distance away to the project sites you will be experiencing remote villages often with no modern amenities and a large amount of the communities living under the poverty line.

What Will I Be Doing?

Depending on the school that you select after your introduction and what you will feel comfortable with, you may be paired up with a teacher to primarily start supporting as a teaching assistant or you may be given a class yourself depending on your experience and confidence. Although the thought of your own class may seem overwhelming at first, the sheer enthusiasm and eagerness to learn of children will be a strong push to spur you on the way.
For the younger children basic reading, writing and phonics are usually required whereas for the older children it's learning to expand their vocabulary and basic lessons of English Language. Even just day to day chatting with the children offers a fantastic cultural exchange experience where they are introduced to different accents and ideas which you then see their use and confidence of English come on leaps and bounds! We have a wide range of teaching books and lesson plans within the store room of the volunteer house and we advise volunteers to make use of their free evening and weekend time to plan the following days lessons.
Even combining some English teaching into subjects such as creative arts for posters or wall displays for the classroom will be loved by the children, they are often taught via dictation due to a lack of materials.

Who Will I Be Working With?

If the number permits we aim to group volunteers together at a particular school or project. You will work closely with a teacher and report to the Headteacher should you have any issues. A member of our team will also spend a portion of their day at the project to assist in anyway and offer any guidance should it be needed. Most volunteers strike up a strong bond with the teachers and are treat as another member of staff as if you were always there. It is not uncommon to be invited round their homes for dinner at an early stage as a way of saying thank you.

What Do We Expect From The Volunteers?

A teaching qualification or experience is not compulsory for this placement, your level of experience and confidence will gauge what level of students would best suit and will be discussed between the team and yourself on your first day introduction. The greatest traits of a volunteer are enthusiasm, empathetic and the ability to adjust to alternative cultures. You will get the most of our your trip by opening your mind to new experiences and beliefs whilst also bringing your own to the table.
We expect volunteers to visit their placements Monday - Friday, exceptions can be made for long weekends of travel etc but we hope for the children and yourselves to get the most of your placement this is kept to a minimum.

What Can You Expect From Us?

We will be on hand any time of any day to support you in your placement and trip as a whole. There will always be someone you can speak to or get a hold of should you want to discuss anything or require any guidance, from organising after school clubs to changing your placement. Our team living in the volunteer house will also be able to offer advice regarding travel plans and the local area so you will soon feel at home.

What Should I Bring?

Regarding your placement we advise bringing plenty of school materials, arts & crafts items and some ideas from teaching resource websites. These will prove invaluable throughout your placement as there is a lack of materials able to purchase in the local area. Basic pens, pencils and cheap paper are available as well as moderate priced photocopying should you wish to bring activity sheets.

What Happens During School Holidays?

During school holidays if a volunteers placement falls within these dates then we will organise a holiday school. Usually in a remote village where the children are more than willing to join in, these days usually are more focused to arts and sports from lunchtime onwards.
The school holidays usually fall three times a year; few weeks around easter, few weeks around August and a few weeks during December.

• 07:30am - Volunteer transport leaves the volunteer house to project sites
• 08:00am - School starts
• 10:30am - 11:00am - Morning Break
• 12:30pm - 01:00pm - Lunch Break
• 02:00pm - School closes
• 02:30pm - Return to volunteer house
• 03:00pm onwards - Free time

Please note this an example of a schedule. Times vary on different schools and term time.


After school volunteers are free to go shopping in the local markets, return to the volunteer house or visit the local swimming pools.

We have volunteers throughout the year so you are welcome to arrive anytime we will schedule the airport collection accordingly.

How Do I Get From The Airport to Volunteer House On Arrival?

We can arrange for one of our vehicles to collect you from the airport and bring you directly to the volunteer house although fuel, airport parking and toll fees must be covered by yourself - payable in US dollars or Ghana cedi on the day. (As of March 2019 - this is 330 cedi = $60 USD exchange rate subject to change | You will be shown the costs for transparency as it's completely not for profit).

Mid Week Free Time
After school and evenings offer these local opportunities around the local area:

• Hiking / Trekking
• Swimming
• Sightseeing (Waterfalls and breathtaking scenery)
• After school & Homework Clubs
• Sports facilities
• Live Music
• Plenty of Nightlife
• Restaurants & Hotels providing western cuisine
  

Weekend Free Time
Most volunteers will travel at weekends, across Ghana we have many amazing experiences which you can discover. Here are just a few ideas:

• Safari
• Museums
• Slave Castles
• Canopy Walk
• Waterfalls
• Malls and Cinemas (Showing latest films)
• Beautiful Beaches
• Surfing

We are on hand to offer any advice that you might need.