Another full day in Accra.  Today consisted primarily meeting with a regional director for a collaboration of schools as well as meeting with directors of various education programs across the country.  It has been interesting to compare the differences between the teachers' views of the great challenges that public education in Ghana faces as compared to what the more bureaucratic side of things is.  From my discussions today it seemed that the biggest challenges were as follows:

• Most teachers make about 400 Cedi a month here (less than $300) and are assigned a school to teach at.  This means that many have to teach in places hours from their homes.  Often times bare accommodations are provided for these teachers making many unwilling to stay.  Although there are many teachers in the US who see their profession as a calling, being a public school teacher here would be one of the hardest jobs I could imagine.

• Many of the more innovative educational things in this country are supported by NGO work from other countries (especially the US).  Although this is important to build diplomacy, it seems to me that this is really an unsustainable model for educational systems.

•  Many of the rural schools in Ghana do not have electricity or running water.  As well, some of the students have to walk great distances even to get to school.  This prevents many students from attending regularly.

Below is a short video where I pose a question regarding the traditional red soil you will find in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Given the hot and humid conditions, my classes should determine why the soil is this color.  Watch the video for a clearer description of this.

As in my last post, I am still seeking US students who will create a short video to explain what a typical life for high school student is in your town.  Tomorrow and all of the next week I will be sharing these with Ghanaian high school students.  The first 3 who submit are eligible for a prize....