# | eng | mlg |
---|
1 | This Trailblazing School in Haiti Teaches Younger Kids in Creole, Not French | Sekoly Fitaratra Ao Haiti Mampianatra Ireo Ankizy Amin'ny Teny Kiriolona Fa Tsy Amin'ny Teny Frantsay |
2 | A 5th grade class at the Matenwa Community School in Haiti. | Mpianatra kilasy faha-5 ao amin'ny Sekolim-piarahamonina Matenwa ao Haiti. |
3 | Credit: Amy Bracken (Used with permission) | Sary: Amy Bracken (nahazoan-dalana) |
4 | This article and a radio report by Amy Bracken for The World in Words originally appeared on PRI.org on December 22, 2014 and is republished as part of a content-sharing agreement. | Navoaka voalohany tao amin'ny PRI.org tamin'ny 22 Desambra 2014 ity lahatsoratra sy fanadihadian'ny onjam-peo notontosain'i Amy Bracken hoan'ny The World in Words ity ary navoaka indray ato amin'ny Global Voices noho ny fifanekena hifampizara votoaty. |
5 | Frandy Calixte is an 11-year-old boy who lives in a small village on the drought-prone island of Lagonav, Haiti. | Tovolahy 11 taona monina ao an-tanàna kely ao amin'ny nosy main-tany Lagonav, ao Haiti i Frandy Calixte. |
6 | Sitting outside his house with his mother and teacher, he tells me he wants to be a nurse when he grows up, but his mother corrects him. | Mipetraka eo ala-tranony miaraka amin'ny reniny sady mpampianany, nilaza tamiko izy fa te ho lasa infirmiera rehefa lehibe, saingy nanitsy azy ny reniny. |
7 | “Doctor,” she says, and he amends his answer. | “dokotera”, hoy ny reniny, sady nanitsy ny valinteniny. |
8 | Almost everyone here is a small farmer; higher education is virtually unheard of. | Saiky mpamboly madinika avokoa ny olona rehetra eto, zara raha misy mahafantatra fampianarana ambonimbony kokoa. |
9 | But Calixte is bucking the trend by going to a different kind of school: The Matenwa Community School, just down the rocky road from Calixte's house. | Saingy mandà ny mahazatra amin'ny fandehanana mankany amin'ny karazan-tsekoly: ny Matenwa Community School, [Sekolim-Piarahamonina Matenwa] izay eo ambanimbany kely fotsiny amin'ny lalana karaobato miala amin'ny trano fonenan'i Calixte. |
10 | Matenwa is also bucking the norms of Haitian education. | Tsy mankasitraka ny fenitra ara-pampianarana Haisiana ihany koa i Matenwa. |
11 | At the start of an all-school assembly, students stand up and share what's good and bad - a lesson they enjoyed, or how they didn't like the behavior of other students or even teachers. | Tamin'ny fidiran'ny sekoly rehetra, mitsangana ny mpianatra ary mizara izay tsara sy ratsy tao an-tsekoly- ny lesona nankafizin'izy ireo, na ny antony tsy hitiavan'izy ireo ny fitondratenan'ireo mpianatra hafa na hatramin'ny mpampianatra aza. |
12 | In class, students sit in a circle, following the school's philosophy that children should be seen, heard and treated with respect. | Ao an-dakilasy, mipetraka manao faribolana ny mpianatra, manaraka ny filôzôfian'ny sekoly, izany hoe tsy maintsy hita, re sy raisina am-panajana avokoa ny mpianatra rehetra,. |
13 | There's another essential part of the school's method, the staff says: teaching in the students' native language, Creole, instead of French. | Misy ihany koa ny ampahany ilaina amin'ny fomban'ny sekoly, hoy ny mpiasa: mampianatra amin'ny tenin-drazan'ny mpianatra, Kiriolona, fa tsy Frantsay. |
14 | Only an estimated 5 percent of Haitians are fluent in French, but it's still the language of government-funded textbooks. | Tombanana eo amin'ny 5 isan-jato eo ireo mponina Haisiana mahafehy tsara ny teny Frantsay, kanefa mbola teny ampiasaina amin'ireo boky fianarana vatsian'ny governemanta ara-bola izany. |
15 | “When I was in school, I never really learned French,” says Calixte's mother, who calls herself Madame Frantz Calixte. | “Fony izaho nianatra, tsy mba nianatra ny teny Frantsay izany mihitsy”, hoy ny renin'i Calixte, izay miantso ny tenany hoe Madama Frantz Calixte. |
16 | When I ask how she succeeded in school, she laughs. “I didn't really pass my exams,” she says. | Raha nanontaniako mikasika ny fomba nahatafitany tany am-pianarana izy, nihomehy sady niteny hoe: “Tsy tena afa-panadinana aho”. |
17 | But of her sons? | Ary ny amin'ny zanakao lahy? |
18 | “They're learning better than I did,” she says. | “Mianatra tsara noho izaho izy ireo” hoy izy. |
19 | Abner Sauveur, who grew up in the village of Matenwa, was also taught entirely in French, despite not being able to understand everything. | Nampianatra tamin'ny teny Frantsay manontolo ihany koa i Abner Sauveur, izay nihalehibe tao an-tanàna kelin'i Matenwa, na dia tsy mahatakatra izay nolazaina aza. |
20 | When teachers got frustrated with the language barrier, he says, they lashed out - literally - at their students. | Raha diso fanantenana noho ny sakana apetraky ny teny ireo mpampianatra, dia ireo mpianatra indray no ilan'izy ireo vaniny - ara-bakiteny. |
21 | “The way they beat me in school, I knew the system was bad,” he says. “People can't learn like that.” | “Ny fomba nikapohan'izy ireo ahy tany an-tsekoly, fantatro fa ratsy ny rafi-pampianarana”, hoy izy “Tsy afaka mianatra tahaka izany ny olona”. |
22 | Sauveur never finished high school. | Tsy nahavita fianarana ambaratonga faharoa i Sauveur. |
23 | But, in 1996, he and American teacher Chris Low co-founded the Matenwa Community School to provide “education that allowed people to reflect and share their ideas,” he says, “education that lets them learn better.” | Saingy tamin'ny taona 1996, niara-nanorina ny Sekolim-piarahamonina Matenwa izy sy ilay Amerikana mpampianatra Chris Low mba hanolotra “fampianarana ahafahan'ny olona mandinika sy mizara hevitra”, hoy izy, “fampianarana ahafahan'izy ireo mianatra tsara kokoa”. |
24 | Using Creole was a necessity. | Ilaina tokoa ny mampiasa ny teny Kiriolona. |
25 | Matenwa uses Creole in all its instruction and textbooks through the third grade, when French is introduced as a second language. | Mampiasa ny teny Kiriolona i Matenwa amin'ny fampianarany rehetra sy amin'ireo boky fianarana hatramin'ny kilasy fahatelo, izay ny teny Frantsay no apetraka ho toy ny teny faharoa. |
26 | After that, textbooks for subjects like geography and history are all in French, simply because such books still aren't available in Creole. | Aorian'izany, amin'ny teny Frantsay avokoa ireo boky fianarana amin'ny taranja toy ny jeografia sy ny tantara, satria mbola tsy misy amin'ny teny Kiriolona ireo boky ireo.. |
27 | Matenwa's co-founders hope that one day all books will be in both French and Creole. | Manantena ireo mpiara-manorina ny Matenwa fa indray andro any, ho amin'ny teny Frantsay sy Kiriolona avokoa ny boky rehetra. |
28 | For earlier grades, the administration raises money to buy Creole books, and students make their own. | Hoan'ireo kilasy ambanimbany, manangom-bola ny ao amin'ny fitantanana hividianana boky amin'ny teny Kiriolona, ary mandray anjara manokana amin'izany koa ireo mpianatra. |
29 | Fifth-grader Kervenson Succès reads a student-authored book, “A Cure for Being a Pest,” printed in Creole, French and English. | Mpianatra kilasy fahadimy Kervenson Succès mamaky boky nosoratan'ny mpianatra, “A Cure for Being a Pest,” natao printy tamin'ny teny Kiriolona, Frantsay ary Anglisy. |
30 | Credit: Amy Bracken (Used with permission) | Tompony: Amy Bracken (Nahazoana alalana) |
31 | But many parents still believe French is the language of education, even in the earliest grades. | Saingy mbola maro ireo ray amandreny no mihevitra fa ny teny frantsay no tenim-pampianarana, eny fa na dia any amin'ny kilasy ambany aza. |
32 | They believe its spelling and grammar are more established than Creole, and that the earlier children are exposed to French, the better off they'll be - even if they don't understand at first. | Ny fanoratra sy ny fitsipi-pitenenana no tafapetraka tsara kokoa noho ny an'ny Kiriolona, ary mbola misisika ihany koa ny finoana fa arakaraka ny hiatrehan'ny ankizy aloha kokoa ny teny Frantsay no hahatsara kokoa ny fahazoana azy - eny fa na dia tsy mahatakatra aza izy ireo amin'ny voalohany. |
33 | “When the Matenwa school started, it was very difficult,” Sauveur says. | “Tena sarotra tokoa ny tamin'ny fanombohan'ny sekoly Matenwa,” hoy i Sauveur. |
34 | “There were parents who would withdraw their students from school because we were teaching in Creole.” | “Misy ireo ray aman-dreny te-hanala ny mpianany tao an-tsekoly satria nampianatra tamin'ny teny kiriolona ry zareo.” |
35 | But he says those parents have returned their kids to Matenwa. | Saingy efa namerina ny zanany tao Matenwa ireo ray aman-dreny ireo. |
36 | Now political leaders from the prime minister on down are calling for more Creole education, and some are calling Matenwa a model. | Ankehitriny ny mpitarika ara-politika hatrany amin'ny praiminisitra no miantso ny hanamafisana bebe kokoa ny fanabeazana kiriolona, ary miantso an'i Matenwa ho fitaratra ry zareo. |
37 | Jonès Lagrandeur, the superintendent for the more than 200 schools on Lagonav Island, was also against Creole instruction at first. | Jonès Lagrandeur, ny lehibe mpanara-mason'ny sekoly mihoatra ny 200 tao amin'ny nosy Lagonav, ihany koa tamin'ny voalohany dia nitsipaka ny fampianarana tamin'ny teny kiriolona. |
38 | “Of course! | “Mazava loatra! |
39 | Because of the way we were raised,” he says. | Noho ny fomba nanabeazana anay,” hoy izy. |
40 | “But then we came to better understand it. | “Saingy nihatakatray tsara kokoa izany avy eo. |
41 | I was a skeptic, but now I'm a die-hard fan. | Niketrona aho tamin'ny voalohany, saingy mpankasitraka mandra-maty aho amin'izao fotoana izao. |
42 | Since Matenwa came along, we've turned a page in history.” | Hatramin'ny nizoran'i Matenwa, dia namadika pejin'ny tantara isika.” |
43 | Matenwa also offers “mother tongue” training to educators around the country, but mostly works with neighboring schools. | Nanolotra fanofanana hoan'ny mpanabe hoan'ny mpanabe manerana ny firenena tamin'ny “tenin-dreny” ihany koa i Matenwa, saingy miasa matetika miaraa amin'ny sekoly manodidina. |
44 | Lagrandeur claims that's why national exam scores on the island this year were the highest ever. | Nanambara i Lagrandeur fa izany no antony nahatsara indrindra ny valim-panadinana tao amin'ny nosy tamin'ity taona ity. |
45 | Michel DeGraff, a Haitian linguist who works at MIT, says tests already show the Matenwa students' Creole reading skills are almost three times the average score for 84 mainland schools tested by the World Bank. | Michel DeGraff, Haisianina iray mpandinika ny teny maro miasa ao amin'ny MIT, nilaza fa efa nasehon'ny fitsapana nataon'ny Banky Mondialy fa in-telo avo heny noho ny salan'isa ankapoben'ny sekoly 84 tao amin'ny tanibe ny fahaizan'ny mpianatra mamaky Kiriolona ao Matenwa. |
46 | DeGraff says he can tell French-based education isn't working just by hearing people study. | Nilaza i DeGraff fa afa-miteny izy hoe tsy mahomby ny fanabeazana mifototra amin'ny teny frantsay amin'ny fihainoana fotsiny ny olona mianatra. |
47 | “It's this sing-along type of tone, where often they break the sentence in the middle,” he says, “which means that they don't understand what they're studying.” | “Karazana fibadabadam-piteny fotsiny, izay matetika tapaka eny antenantenany ny fehezanteny,” hoy izy, “izay midika fa tsy azony akory ny zavatra ianarany.” |
48 | It's the same kind of studying he did as a child, when Creole was disdained at his schools. | Tahaka izany ihany no efa nataony fony fahakely, tamin'ny fotoana nanaovana tsinontsinona ny kiriolona tany an-tsekoly nianarany. |
49 | Now, as a member of the new Creole Academy, DeGraff is now tasked with promoting the language in all areas. | Ankehitriny amin'ny maha-mpikamban'ny Akademia Kiriolona vaovao azy, dia miezaka i DeGraff mampiroborobo ilay fiteny any amin'ny sehatra rehetra. |
50 | But his main focus is education, including tools to help teachers teach science in Creole, and the translation of 21 math computer games into Creole. | Saingy ny tena ifantohany dia ny ao amin'ny fanabeazana, ka tafiditra amin'izany ny fitaovana hanampiana ny mpampianatra hampianatra siansa amin'ny teny kiriolona, sy ny fandikana ny lalao matematika amin'ny solosaina miisa 21 ho amin'ny teny kiriolona. |
51 | Back at Matenwa, I visited on a Friday, when educators gathered for mother tongue training. | Raha iverenana ny any Matenwa, nitsidika tao aho indray zoma, raha nivory hiofana momba ny tenin-dreny ny mpanabe. |
52 | They got pointers and books, and they discussed how they'd go back and train more people themselves. | Nahazo boky sy fanoroan-dalana ry zareo, ary niady hevitra amin'ny fomba iverenana sy hampiofanan'izy ireo olona bebe kokoa. |
53 | “In the beginning it was just us who were teaching in Creole,” says Abner Sauveur, the school's co-founder says. | “Tamin'ny voalohany dia izahay irery no nampianatra tamin'ny teny kiriolona,” hoy i Abner Sauveur, mpiara-manorina ny sekoly. |
54 | “Now there are 10 schools who come here for training, every month. | “Ankehitriny misy sekoly 10 tonga eto hiofana, isam-bolana. |
55 | When I look at that experience, I believe that after 15, 20, 30 years, I might be dead already, but it's possible that the system will be completely changed in Haiti.” | Rehefa nijery izany zava-niainana izany aho, dia mino fa aorian'ny 15, 20, 30 taona, mety ho efa maty aho, saingy mety azo heverina fa hiova tanteraka ny rafi-pampianarana ao Haiti.” |
56 | But at the training session, Sauveur distributes manuals that seem to have nothing to do with how to teach in Creole. | Saingy nandritra ny fotoam-piofanana, nizara boky fanao an-tanana izay tahaka ny tsy misy ifandraisany amin'ny fomba fampianarana amin'ny teny kiriolona i Sauveur. |
57 | They're about stopping corporal punishment, communicating productively with students and protecting kids from sexual abuse. | Niresaka momba ny fampitsaharana ny fanasaziana mihatra amin'ny vatana ireo boky ireo, momba ny fifandraisana mahomby amin'ny mpianatra sy ny fiarovana ny ankizy tsy ho tratran'ny fanararaotana ara-nofo. |
58 | So is Matenwa a model because of Creole, or because of that attention to the rights of children? | Ka fitaratra noho ny fampianarana amin'ny teny kiriolona ve i Matenwa, sa noho ny fanomezan-toerana ny zon'ny ankizy? |
59 | I ask the teachers: Wouldn't this school be influential even if all the classes were in French? | Nanontany ny mpampianatra aho : mbola hanana ny famirapiratany hatrany ve ity sekoly ity raha nampianatra tamin'ny teny frantsay ? |
60 | Their response? | Valintenin-dry zareo? |
61 | This could never happen in French. | Tsy hisy mihitsy izany raha atao amin'ny teny frantsay. |
62 | The World in Words podcast is on Facebook and iTunes. | Tadiavo ao amin'ny Facebook sy iTunes ny Tontolon'ny teny. |