The placement is a Primary school funded by the government in Dompoase (Pronounced Dumpo-aasea) a suburb in Kumasi located in Ghana.The age range of the school is from the ages of 6-12, they also have a foundation level within the school if you wish to work with younger children. The staff were very friendly and welcoming, they were ready to answer any questions I had about their approaches and were eager to find out about the approaches and methods of teaching in the UK.
I had a bit of an advantage as I was able to understand the language however was not able to communicate in the native language, so I responded in English. Although they communicated in their native language, there were no language barriers as many of the staff and children were able to speak English. So if you were to go to the placement and did not understand their language it wouldn’t be an issue as they would be able to communicate in English with you.
This school will definitely show you a great difference of the way they live, culture, education system, policies and methods of teaching. They will give you the opportunity to interact with the children and teach them a subject if you prepare a lesson using your methods with the incorporation of their syllabus.
The class I worked in had 52 children which is more than the average 25-30 children in a class room. Though the school is funded by the government they do not provide the school with writing books, pens, pencils etc. Therefore the school is quite limited and do not have many advanced resources, they had recently got computers when I was there. They work with what they have and work really hard to give the children the best education possible. I brought some colouring books, pens, pencils and stickers for the children which they really appreciated. So if you were to go you could bring some colouring books or other educational supplies that may be useful to the children, they would very much appreciate it. If you wanted to become a teacher or simply wanted the experience I would definitely recommend this placement.
When you get to Accra you need to take a coach to get to Kumasi which will take approximately 5 hours. So you will need to stay at a hotel for the night and take a coach to Kumasi in the morning which will cost £73. I arrived in the evening and got family members to pick me up from the airport, stayed overnight and left in the morning to go to Kumasi. It is best to get a morning flight to Accra if there is one, it will save you money.
In Kumasi the main types of public transport they have are mini busses and taxis so if you wanted to get to your placement you could use either one. Nevertheless they also have rental cars and motorbikes if you wish to travel in that way. It is cheaper to travel with a mini bus than a taxi, anyone can jump in the taxi with you but if you do not feel comfortable with that you can also reserve the taxi.
They have plenty of restaurants in Kumasi to cater for everyone. They have restaurants where they serve traditional Ghanaian foods if you would like to try something new. They also have Chinese restaurants and pizza parlours if you prefer that. They have museums and a zoo if you want to know about the history of Ghana or see wild animals. The night life is not that exciting as they are a religious country but they do have a few clubs and bars where they play all sorts of music e.g. hip hop, afro beats, world music, old school, R&B etc. They also have a cultural centre 10 minutes away from the zoo which is a tourist area where you can buy souvenirs, arts, crafts and see all the traditional possessions.
Things to do, things not to do
You can get in touch with the school through fax or through sending a letter to the headmistress of the school.
· Fax number: +233322024418
· Address: The headmistress
Dompoase M/A Primary school
C/O Ghana Education Service
Post Office box 1916
Ashanti Region
In case of an emergency it would be useful to have the contact details of the British embassy. The British embassy is sited in:
· Address: Osu link
Off Gamel Abdul Nassar Avenue
PO Box 296
Accra
Ghana
· Email: High.Commission.Accra@fco.gov.uk
· Telephone number: +233302213250
· Fax number: +233302221717
Before you go to Ghana you will need a Visa which will cost £100. You can apply for one online and post your documents to the office, I will include a link below.
You will also need a yellow fever injection which you need to get six weeks before your travel. It is usually free to get a yellow fever injection, after you get the injection you will get a yellow slip which you need to bring with you to the airport. If you do not get one within six weeks you will have to pay and get one at a private clinic.
Also make sure you bring an unlocked phone so that you can insert an African sim card and contact your family and friends whilst your there.
In order to exchange your money you will have to do it when you get to the airport and also to exchange your money back to British pounds you will need to do that before you come back to the UK as you will not be able to exchange it back when you enter the UK.
https://www.ghanahighcommissionuk.com/Passports/
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