The requirements for enhancing learning inside and outside school.
1.1. Positive Indicators
1.2 - Analysis and Discussion
1.2.1 - The administration and the inside-school management
The questionnaires, which have focused on the requirements for the enhancement of learning inside and outside school, have yielded interesting data. In the area of the school management capacity, it is made clear that:
-The frequency or recurrence of positive indicators is almost similar in two primary schools ; namely Bousekkoura public school and the Mohit private school (above average level : 3 and above). Both of these schools are situated in a rural area.
-From the investigation of the Bousekkoura school records, the interviewing of the headmaster and the observation of the activities undertaken, it seems that though this school is situated in a rural area, its leadership invests palpable efforts to provide a suitable context for learning. Though they are not numerous, administrators work towards giving students a sense of belonging to the school; a space where they improve their knowledge and personality as has been maintained by students themselves.
1.2.2 -Teachers’ and students’ performance
The Bousekkoura School has achieved a high percentage compared to other schools in terms of crucial standards for enhancing the quality of performance. 15 out of 19 positive indicators are noticed in connection with teachers and 10 out of 15 in the third standard. Yet, teachers stress the importance of in-service training to catch up with innovations in the field and improve their teaching skills to boost learners’ competence. They are looking forward to understanding the pedagogy of differentiation and the practical ways necessary to implement the curriculum taking into account the time allotted to each subject-matter. They also need to be trained in how to remedy for students’ weaknesses. Teachers make a plea for policy-makers to give more time to students to do their extra-class tasks, the setting up of reading clubs, drama activities, plastic art sessions, music, etc. They also like to see what other institutions do to develop learners socially, cognitively, and affectively; i.e. sharing experiences.
1.2.3 - The results of the analysis of the questionnaire designed for the third area show that the students do not benefit from free health care. They do not always have access to the library, to the multi-media or ICT rooms to do their homework or other activities outside the time-table. There is a noticeable lack of qualified staff to facilitate students’ access to these facilities too. Standards for the school self-evaluation are still not widely applied. The records show that the students’ results are continuously improving, though. Teachers’ efforts to improve their skills are also obvious.
1.2.4 - As far as the forth area which concerns itself with the intra-school and social environment, the school has come to achieve a set of positive indicators, especially in the appropriateness and attractiveness of the site in a rural area where early school leaving can be caused by insignificant or trivial factors, especially in the population of girls. The Quality of the school and its environment is developing in terms of the :
- provision of means of transportation,
- school privacy-proofness ( e.g. a wall is built),
- provision of enough facilities,
- school cleanness and pavement,
- openness to partners (e.g. associations),
There is still a need to improve the school through building a sufficient number of offices, a staffroom, a waiting room for students’ parents and tutors.
Though they belong to different contexts, the rural public ‘AL Mohit school’ and the urban private ‘Group of Berrada schools’ have realized high indicators in the first three areas ; that is (i) the administration, (ii) the internal management and (iii) teachers, staff and students’ performance. 100% of the students have passed in both schools. The ‘Mohit school’ outscored the ‘Group of Berrada schools’. Three points of difference are noticed because of the effective specialised staff available in the ‘Mohit school’ library, as well as the collective management that characterize this school. The ‘Group of Berrada school’ , on the contrary , opens its doors to all the students in its environment and to its social activities . It also tries to ensure in-service training for teachers and staff. The ‘ Mohit school’ has achieved the highest percentage in this area thanks its wide and beautiful site as well as the various activities undertaken there ( see picture) .
1.2.5. As for the number of the positive indicators in every school and the requirements for learning enhancement, the results give the following order :
- Al Mohit’ school 27 %
- The ‘Group of Berrada school’ 26 %
- The ‘Bousekkoura’ school 25 %
- The ‘Inara ‘ school 22%
This order is clearly displayed in the circle opposite :
The names of the schools are in Arabic in the following order from top to bottom: (i) The Group of Berrada school, (ii) the Inara school, (iii)The Mohit school and (iii) Bousekkoura school.
1.2.6. The third figure shows the difference that exists between the private and public schools as far as the positive indicators are concerned . The difference between them is noticeably limited, though. Their performance is the result of their determination to achieve good results. The private education is different from public education because of the positive indicators referred to in the table opposite.
Most of the conclusions drawn indicate that the learning enhancement indicators inside and outside the school – in the sample schools -are high and significant . They reveal that the positive interaction between the best practices in an appropriate atmosphere within and outside school contributes significantly in the enhancement of learning in both public and private schools, be it in rural or urban area.
The chart of students’ results during the last two school years (2006-2008) opposite shows an improvement in the success percentage, especially in public schools. The number of students in each school is also provided.
Concerning the areas connected to governance -in terms of management and implementation- that need to be improved, the chart below shows the data that accrue from the questionnaire’s analysis :
