I went to LDSCC in Fiji last summer for an internship. Another intern and I assisted the teacher in teaching Biology and Basic Science classes. I loved it at the school.
The first thing I noticed and liked about LDSCC were the students. I remember catching the school bus to work the first day, they were very respectful and all had good personalities. I liked arriving at school and being greeted with "Good Morning Brother R****." It made me feel old but I liked it. I wasn't much older than the students I taught. I was only 19 year old. I learned later that there were actually some students who were older than myself attending LDSCC. Most students were well-behaved, but like any class you'll have a few who are just out there and love to joke at every little thing. This would disrupt class a lot and it got on my nerves sometimes. The students were good-natured and funny. I liked it when they asked me questions. One thing I didn't like was their teasing. Once and only once I dictated notes and they teased my American accent and they words I used. Like instead of saying "Full-stop" at the end of a sentence I'd say "Period." That's what we use in America. And the students would be silly and ask me to repeat myself over and over again. And me, not getting the joke would repeat it, then I realized they were just making a fool of me. Not all the students just a couple of them in the lower classes, like Form 3 and 4. But working with those students was nice. I wish I had stayed longer and tutored some of them individually because I noticed that some really didn't understand what was going on in class.
In LDSCC there is only one Biology teacher. I want to go there and teach Biology. I know I'd be an excellent teacher for the students at LDSCC. The school needs a new curriculum and teacher's who are organized and actually have lesson plans. There are no guidelines on teaching content and no grading rubrics. I didn't see any of that at LDSCC and I think that's why most students aren't doing well in education at the school.
My first week there was the mid-year examination, we supervised the tests and graded them the following week. Out of 85-90 students, only about 6 passed the exam, this was Form 4. The results were pathetic, I thought "What's wrong with these students?" I observed a lot during the following weeks of my internship and I realized that the teachers teaching were part of the problem. The school provides resources for the teachers to use which could help assist in teaching, but they don't put them to use efficiently. The school lacks qualified teachers. Teachers are teaching subjects they don't know much about, subjects that aren't in their fields of expertise. This is affecting the education of students at LDSCC and it saddens me. The students have potential and because the teachers aren't making the effort to be the best teachers they can be, the students are being held back from being the best students they can be. I want to help those students who are being denied a proper education because of their teachers' ignorance. It's such a shame and disappointment how things are run at LDSCC. I want to go there and teach Biology. I will be a great teacher who is qualified to teach, dedicated and determined to the success of all students.
LDSCC is a wonderful place and I enjoyed my time there. However, some major changes in the curriculum need to happen for students to actually learn. Some teachers need to be trained or replaced by ones who are qualified to teach. The students are the only not benefiting in this situation. The school is for them and their education, it should be beneficial not wasteful.
