Nursery Class in Siar Village - Dum Jabon's Class

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This early morning I and my office assistant Barbie went to Siar Village to visit Dum Jabon's Nursery Class. That was our second visit. We missed to observe his class during our first visit since the class was dismissed earlier before we arrived but today we were there just on time while they were having reading lesson.

When we arrived there the children were reading the Alphabets but stops shortly to say 'good morning' to us. They were very delighted to have visitors in their class that some of them could not focus anymore to what teacher Dum wanted them to do. They keep giggling trying to get our attention.

There were 31 children present in Dum's class. Most of them are of 4 and 5 years of ages. They are smart children. Teacher Dum calls them one by one to come in front and as he mentions the letter the children pointed it out using a stick. The same strategy was being used in identifying different kind of shapes. Another activity, teacher Dum asked 10 children to come in front and each of them holding a stick with a number card. The number is 1 to 10. The rest of the class were just waiting for those who were in front to raise the number card for them to read it. Obviously, the children have learnt a lot.

The children were just sitting on coconut leaves mat since there is no proper classroom and no chairs and table they can use.

There is no proper classroom for these children under teacher Dum's class. The only two classrooms for pre-school children in the Village are occupied by teacher Wosmai and teacher Fiona for the Kindergartens. Not even the Elementary School has the proper classroom. Their school building was left undone without walls, no chairs and tables and the same here the children just sit on the floor using coconut leaves mats. Its like no matter what is missing like the school building and proper classroom, our volunteer teachers are determined and committed enough to conduct their classes just to educate the young children. In Dum's case, he is using the space underneath the house of one of the RD Tuna Canners employee as his classroom.

Teacher Dum conducts his class underneath this house owned by Aldwina, an RD Tuna Canners employee.

The children went outside and rendered a song for us. That was very nice of them and as innocent as they are all is just like playing with the teacher..it's really true, young children are learning while playing.

About teacher Dum. He is a retired public school teacher and responsible for starting a Nursery and Kindergarten class in the village. About 3 years ago he organized a Nursery class teaching only his grandchildren. There was no pre-school in the village and he desperately wanted his grandchildren to learn at an early age that's why he came up with this initiative. But sooner, the villager noticed his initiative and became interested as well to send their children until such time that it becomes a village matter and not just a class for his grandchildren. When RD Foundation came, the Foundation assisted him to formally organizing the Nursery and Kindergarten classes, trained and assigned additional teachers. That's why Wosmai and Fiona are also teaching in the village.

Mr. Dum Jabon, a retired teacher who started the Nursery and Kindergarten school in Siar Village.

When I and Barbie left the village I brought with me a dream and a wish that one day a permanent school building will be built there for the children to have a conducive learning space, where they could sit properly and write properly. Then Dum, Fiona and Wosmai will be teaching there. A permanent school building will surely have a lasting impact to help make learning enjoyable and conducive for children.

Dream, wish and pray with us. God Bless these Children.