Parents Handbook

This booklet is initially to introduce new parents to Camp Education. For some parents we need no introduction, however some procedures have changed or been updated so we feel any parents or other interested parties need an updated guide for 2003.

Please feel free to contact us at any time.

Useful telephone numbers

Camp Education Tel. 27118 Fax 27116

Fox Bay Tel. 27128 Fax 27128

Goose Green Tel. 27122

North Arm Tel. 27120

Education Office Tel. 27289 Fax 27292

E-mail addresses

June McMullen jmcmullen.camp@sec.gov.fk

Richard Fogerty rfogerty.camp@sec.gov.fk

Sue Evans sevans.camp@sec.gov.fk

Fox Bay fbschool.fig@horizon.co.fk

Goose Green ggschool@horizon.co.fk

North Arm northarmsch.fig@horizon.co.fk

Text Box: Board of Education Text Box: Library Committee Text Box: Head Infant Junior School Text Box: Camp Education plus Learning for Life Text Box: Head FICS Text Box: Manager of Leisure Centre Text Box: Head Stanley House
The Structure of the Education Department

Text Box: Committee of School Managers Text Box: Staff Text Box: Settlement Teacher Text Box: Radio Teacher Text Box: Travelling Teacher

The History of Camp Education

Education in Camp has existed in one form or another since the 1870’s. At Darwin in 1872, a group of Scottish shepherds and a few others got together and financed the erection of a building to be used as a school and church. The Falkland Island Company paid for a schoolmaster to be brought out from Britain. In 1890 the Company followed by introducing itinerant schoolmasters, (travelling teachers of the male variety), to Lafonia and off-shore islands. It was their job to teach all children outside Darwin and cover the distance between settlement, houses and islands by horse or boat.

In 1891, a number of station managers and shepherds of West Falkland petitioned Government to provide education for their children. It was not until 1896 that the West got two itinerant schoolmasters financed by the Government. Governor Sir Roger Tucker Goldworthy had seen the itinerant schoolmaster in action on East Falkland and thought the idea was a sound one. By 1904 it was necessary to increase the number to three so that the children could be visited more frequently – a year between visits was not unheard of. The three “beats” covered 24 settlements, outside houses and Islands of West Falkland. Teaching qualifications or experience were the least of priorities at the time. It helped if the itinerant schoolmaster was a good horseman and sprinter, (the mark of a man), to be able to run the shorter distances between Hill Cove, Dunbar, Crooked Inlet, Teal River etc.. Compatibility with families was also necessary. One itinerant schoolmaster entered into dubious negotiations with his families over a horse which caused untold problems. His five year contract was terminated rather abruptly and he had to pay his own passage back to England.

By 1916, it was thought the system of itinerant schoolmasters “had a fair amount of results”, but were hardly comparable to full time education in Port Stanley. It was proposed a home should be set up to accommodate Camp children. It never materialised. In 1923 there was a further proposal for a hostel in Stanley with charges of £1 per month per child. The proposal was deferred until 1982! In 1956, a boarding school was set up at Darwin and it operated successfully for over twenty years. In the same year, at Port Howard, a building was set aside for a boarding school. The idea did not come to fruition however, due to the unavailability of domestic staff to run the venture.

During the 1960s and 70s there was a trend for settlement schools. Those who taught the children had the dual role of book-keeper for the farm. Many will remember with nostalgia, settlement schools at Walker Creek, Hill Cove, Chartres, Fox Bay West, San Carlos, Port San Carlos, Roy Cove, Port Stephens, Pebble Island, Teal Inlet and others, and their subsequent passing.

Settlement schools have come and gone, mostly gone. The itinerant schoolmaster became the itinerant teacher and then the travelling teacher. The mode of travel has moved on from horse to motorcycle to Islander Aircraft. Change was minimal until the introduction of the 2 metre radio in 1982/83. The 2 metre has added a new and revolutionary dimension to Camp Education, as has the introduction of the telephone. Every Primary aged Camp child now has daily schooling (either from a travelling teacher or through radio lessons) before coming into Stanley for Senior School education.

Aims and Objectives

Camp Education should, with sensitivity to the identity and aspirations of the Camp population, strive to equip all pupils with the knowledge, skills and understanding required to:

v Develop inquiring minds

v Question and discuss rationally.

v Communicate effectively

v Achieve transfer to Stanley with the minimum of disruption to either party

v Apply themselves to tasks and individual skills.

v Develop self-respect and a sense of responsibility.

v Foster an understanding of, and concern for, others.

v Develop an awareness of, and respect for, the community/environment.

v Develop independent work habits and initiative.

Camp Education should always be aware of the responsibility to educate and develop the whole child.

Camp Education must always acknowledge the crucial role of parents, and provide support where possible

R J Fogerty

February 1997

“What is going to be the backbone of their success in life? Surely nothing more or less than a good education.“

An extract from the Falkland Islands Magazine and Church paper, March 1915, on the subject of Falkland Islands children.

School Starting and Leaving Ages

Children are required to attend school from the beginning of the academic year in which they turn five, as is the case for children in Stanley. Not all children are ready for a full day of school when they first attend, and it is for the parents and teachers to discuss when the child is ready. Where visits are made by a travelling teacher, children will receive shortened visits of one week to start with. These early visits will be quite gentle, with much of the time spent on early learning activities.

Children have to complete the school year in which they are sixteen before they leave school.

The Length of the School Day

The Education Ordinance (1989) states that Camp Schools should operate for a minimum of 4 1/2 hrs per day (22 1/2 hrs per week). Teachers’ lunches and smoko breaks’ will obviously be arranged to fit in with the families involved. Parents should ensure that children arrive punctually for school. Children and teachers are not required to work weekends.

Punctuality is equally important for radio or telephone lessons, where lateness can result in a shortened session.

Telephone-Lessons

Your role as parent/supervisor is critical to the success of the lessons. If you are less than fully committed to the success of you child’s education, and display a less than positive attitude to the work, then the system is unlikely to be very effective. The teacher is in direct contact with your child for only a very small proportion of the teaching time, so much of the routine work of teaching and monitoring must inevitably fall to you.

“It takes so much time.” – Yes, it does. The younger the child, and the more children there are, the more time it takes. A child in Reception – Years 2/3 (5-7/8 yrs of age) will probably need you full time for up to a couple of hours. For years 3/4 they will have more work, which may take 2½ - 3½hrs but should need you less as they become more independent. By Years 5/6 the children should be independent, take about 3½ to 4hrs to complete tasks and be working towards school in Stanley. Where problems arise, they can ring their teacher.

“I can’t understand some of it myself” This is bound to happen and you should feel free to telephone us for help. We don’t know everything (honestly!) but hopefully we should know where to look or who to contact.

Supervising Lessons

There is a lot of truth in the proverb “A stitch in time saves nine”. Having the correct books and materials on hand will avoid unnecessary interruptions and delays. Establish a timetable (as in school) and follow the times consistently. Unavoidable circumstances will mean that changes must be made, but try to minimise them.

When supervising homework, be quick to recognise situations that are about to cause frustrations - e.g. the child has just made three attempts at solving a maths problem and still not succeeded.

Can you assist him by;

v demonstrating the process (using different examples);

v calling a five minute break to avoid a potentially explosive situation;

v noting the item for the teacher’s attention and moving onto something else (if he has made an honest attempt, though without success).

Failure to read the danger signs may result in a situation where the child becomes so frustrated that a whole day’s work may be affected. Many such frustrations can result in a long term loss of interest in school and school related activities. The possibility of such situations arising is much reduced if there is good communication between parents and teachers. Do not hesitate to ask for your teachers’ assistance. This is part of their job. Like EOD, we would rather have false alarms than risk missing the “live” one that might blow up and cause serious problems for all of us.

There can be little doubt that radio lessons can be very stressful, particularly for the supervisors. They are very time-consuming, and it isn’t usually easy to teach your own child.

There is also the need to plan the day around the radio lessons, which are not always at the most convenient times. On the positive side, we must bear in mind the fact that over the last ten years or so, standards in the main areas have improved.

For the majority of children, there is no evidence that education will suffer from the isolation until about ten years of age. After this, the gap between children in Camp and their peers in Stanley tends to increase.

Lesson Expectations

Children develop skills at different rates, but in general the notes on the following pages may help.

Reception (Children aged 4 - 5) Children will require the total attention of the supervisor during lessons, lasting between 15 minutes and half an hour. Homework should be totally supervised. Pupils should learn to operate the microphone or answer the telephone alone at this time.

Keystage 1 (Children aged 5 - 7) Supervisor needs to be in the background to find books and make a note of homework. Length of the lesson is half an hour. Homework requires the supervisor to check periodically that all is going well, and to direct the child on to the next task.

Keystage 2 (Children aged 8 – 11) Children should have acquired the skills required to work virtually unaided. An adult should be available if needed, and should check work. He or she should also organise the child so that homework is completed, and work should be checked for neatness, tidiness and accuracy. Lessons will last for 45 minutes. Older children should work independently but the supervisor needs to check work set and see it on completion.

Visits to Camp

By Radio/Telephone Teachers

Radio teachers will endeavour to visit their pupils in their homes at least once during the year, and hopefully more often.

By Travelling Teachers

Travelling teachers usually have 2 or 3 locations on their beat, and spend two weeks with the children; one week in the case of reception age children. Many farms have provided portakabins or similar for school away from the house. This is very much appreciated by the teacher. Children enjoy going to school, and can leave unfinished projects without cluttering up the house.

Travelling teachers spend their entire time on the move, and they do appreciate the privacy of their own bedroom, so that they can write letters or read during their free time. We sincerely appreciate the hospitality extended to our teachers, and understand that at busy times of the year it can be very time-consuming to have to take and fetch the teacher from the airstrip. It helps us a lot if you can let us know as far in advance as possible if it is inconvenient to have the teacher to visit at a particular time. We try to plan travelling teacher’s movements at least a month in advance, so do call up the office or ask the teacher when he or she is there, about when to expect the next visit.

We will always endeavour to get the teacher to the most convenient airstrip. It is then the responsibility of the parents to pick up and transport the teacher to their home. With the developing road systems, we ask that parents liaise with each other where possible to collect and deliver the teacher between locations. When teachers are moving through Stanley we will meet parents at the most convenient spot on the road. The Education Department does not cover petrol or similar expenses.

Children Visiting Farm, Settlement or Stanley schools

Air fares can be paid for by the Department for pupils wishing to spend two weeks or longer at a farm/settlement school, or at school in Stanley. Also, pupils who travel with their teacher to another location can have their flights booked through the Camp Education Office.

Board and lodging allowances are available for pupils too young to stay in the hostel, and who board in a farm/settlement or in Stanley for a period of time not shorter than a term. The present rate is £3.50 per day, and those having pupils living with them should write to the Education Department with details.

Children visiting Stanley or settlement schools should take their books where possible. Other teachers particularly appreciate the current reading book, maths book and a book for written language work. This is especially true where visits last for more than two or three days. It is appreciated if we can have two or three days notice if your child is coming into school in Stanley.

Board + E-mail charges for Travelling Teachers

Travelling Teachers pay £7 20 per day for their lodgings while on the beat. This contribution is reviewed annually. Travelling teachers may ask to use the telephone for personal calls or to send and receive e-mails for which they reimburse the family at the end of each visit.

Travelling Teachers also pay their families for use of Internet in school as part of the curriculum. Camp Education reimburses the teachers for up to 2 hours usage per week providing parents sign a chit to declare this.

Additional Services Offered by Camp Education

Library Books Camp Education shares an extensive library with the Infant/Junior school. Children can borrow several books at a time. We do try hard to find children’s special requests. All children are issued with a library record booklet. This should be sent into the office with finished books, and children are encouraged to fill in the comments section. If children haven’t reached the writing age, they can tell Mum or Dad what they would like to say.

Video Library Videos are held at Goose Green. Films are sent out in the same way as the library books. There has not been the demand in recent years but requests can be made for videos from Goose Green School.

Encyclopaedia Camp Education have purchased a number of encyclopaedia for use by the children during their time with the department. For the younger children, 7-8 years old, a Kingfisher First Encyclopaedia will be sent, and for those above the age of 8 a full set of 7 Oxford Children’s Encyclopaedia is available.

Due to cost of the Oxford sets, parents will be asked to sign for the safekeeping of these. Although to be looked after, these encyclopaedia are a valuable resource for the children’s work, and everyone is to be encouraged to look at them, not just for work but for pleasure.

Maths Boxes These are made up according to lists from the Ginn Maths scheme. Boxes come in 2 levels 1-2 and 3-4 with appropriate materials sent for level 5+.

Science Boxes These contain a variety of materials to support science investigations.

Please could you try to ensure everything is kept together as much as possible, as the boxes will be reused by younger children. If anything arrives damaged or broken, PLEASE let us know immediately so that a replacement can be sent.

Parental Support We are very conscious that our system places great emphasis on the partnership between parents and staff. It is inevitable that parents will be the first to notice when children are having problems. If these problems can be talked over with a teacher at an early stage, it can avoid more serious difficulties later on.

Some parents have ideas (and skills) of their own that they might like to try out with their children. Here, too, staff will be more than happy to discuss ideas.

Special Needs Almost all children experience problems at some time or other, and to a greater or lesser degree. These problems are generally short lived, but occasionally they last longer and give cause for concern. It may be an exceptionally bright child who is not stimulated by the usual material, or it can be a pupil who just cannot come to terms with writing, numbers etc. Further information can be obtained from the office staff, who have the necessary expertise and facilities to help.

Pre School F.I.G. now provide for pre-school children in Stanley. Children from Camp are offered afternoon places in the pre-school class during the year in which they are five, dependant on numbers and availability. In the year of their fifth birthday they will be able to attend the reception class in the Infant/ Junior School.

Camp Education will be providing pre-school information and advice from an early age. A box will be taken to locations in the child’s pre-school year as staff are available. This will be in the form of a loan kit with suggestion for activities with the toys provided. Towards the time the child is due to begin their Reception year, the box will be changed for an Early Years loan kit.

Please Remember We are very fortunate to live in a country where almost all education, including staff and materials, is provided free of charge to parents. In Camp Education this results in a very high cost per child. High cost items like computers cannot be provided for every pupil. All non-consumable items are on loan and should be returned when requested. Please remember this and encourage your children to look after these items so that other children can benefit.

Complaints Procedure

We hope that during your children’s time with Camp Education there will be very little that you feel you cannot discuss with staff. If however you feel you have cause to complain about anything, from the amount of work given, to treatment received from a member of staff, there are a number of options open to you.

1. If the complaint is concerning the amount or content of work given, the first person to approach is the child’s teacher. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of this you can talk to the Camp Education Supervisor, who will liaise with the teacher/s concerned.

2. If the complaint is of a more serious nature against a teacher you would go directly to the Supervisor.

The Camp Education Supervisor should always be approached before a complaint is made to the Director of Education in the case of teaching matters. Any member of the Board of Mangers may also be contacted, again before involving the Director of Education.

3. Complaints or comments about education in general should be addressed to the Director of Education or members of the Education Board.

Remember your Board of Managers is always there to help you. They are members who have been elected by parents to represent parents. Meetings are held between Managers at least 3 times a year and anything you feel needs to be discussed regarding the education of your child or children will in total confidence.

To summarise;

v Talk to your child’s teacher first - either radio or traveller.

v Call the Camp Education Supervisor

v At any time you can speak to members of the Board of Managers.

For matters concerning education in general

v Phone or write to the Director of Education

v Speak to a member of the Education Board.

Parents’ Obligations under the Education Ordinance

In these paragraphs, I am attempting to put interpretation of the main points in a condensed and easily read form.

Section 17 A child must attend school from the beginning of the term in which he/she is five years old until the end of the school year in which he/she is sixteen years of age.

Section 18 The Director of Education must, where practical, make arrangements for pupils to attend a Government School, if parents so wish.

Section 19 It is the duty of the parents to ensure that their children receive an efficient education. This could be a) In a Government School; b) With the Camp Education service; c) At a recognised school here or overseas; d) By any other method approved by the Director of Education.

Section 21 The parent of a child with the Camp Education service must inform the Director of Education when there is any change in their place of residence.

Section 22 If a pupil is going to be absent from lessons for more than two consecutive school days, parents must inform the Head, giving reasons and likely length of absence.

Section 23 A child can be expected to attend a school that is within two miles walking distance if he/she is 8 yrs old or under. If the child is over 8 years of age, he/she can be expected to attend a school that is within three miles of walking distance.

Section 57 The academic year will begin in September each year. Each year is divided into 3 terms the dates of which will be published in the Gazette.

Section 58 No pupil shall be obliged to go to school on a public holiday.

Section 61 Anyone in Camp may be requested by the Director of Education to accommodate the teacher and his/her pupils in exchange for adequate compensation. This includes temporary sleeping and living accommodation for the teacher.

Section 66 It is illegal for any child, at any school in the Falkland Islands, to be corporally punished.

Section 67 The Director of Education must arrange for inspection of schools at least once in every year. NB These are a few of the main points from the Education Ordinance. The complete version can be purchased from the Secretariat, or borrowed from Camp Education.

A Parents Point of View

Parents who take on the responsibility of supervising their own children deserve a medal!

It takes a great deal of patience and courage. Some parents find it enhances and strengthens their relationship with the children. Others find it can become a strain having to work with their children during “school hours” and then “after hours”. Take heart, most parents see their children off at the beginning of the day and then not again until they greet them at four in the afternoon.

Because you are having a great deal more contact with your children it may cause friction. Try not to change your personality as you walk through the classroom. You should not become a military figure or someone different, be yourself, a mother or father. Behaviour, rules and expectations should be consistent so that they flow over into everyday living. Children need this routine and consistency, given this they will be more responsive as they know what is expected of them.

As a parent you also have obligations to other people within your family, don’t neglect them by becoming totally engrossed in school work, they need time out from hearing about school just as much as you do. To alleviate some of this pressure on you, use other family members to assist with some aspects of your children’s work.

When we are Learning

Learning to read and write are much the same as learning to talk. Think about children you know, who are beginners at talking. Children learn to talk when:

· Talk is all around them

· They need to use it for their own needs

· Adults treat their attempts seriously and sensibly

· They want to ask for and receive help when they want it

· The important people in their lives never doubt they will talk

Now substitute the word writing for talk e.g writing is around them.

Children’s attitudes to writing are strongly influenced by you! You are part of the motivation, therefore it is really important to respond to their needs.

Think about a task you had to learn recently and the parallels can be seen.

For example, when learning to drive a car, the learner is:

· Surrounded by people who can drive and do drive

· Learning to drive because s/he wants to learn

· Willing to try and practice

· Confident to ask for help, advice and demonstrations

· Able to see room for perfecting his/her driving skills

· Assisted by someone who assumes s/he will eventually be able to drive

Again, if we think of this in the context of writing, we can begin to appreciate how a person might learn when “driving a pencil” for the first time (with destination in mind).

· Imitating others

· Observing others experiences

· “Doing”

· Interacting with others

· Choosing the strategy that is most suitable

· Experimenting

· Making mistakes (taking risks)

Positive Feed Back

Ways to encourage your children

· Look for positives

· Build on the strong points

· Be Friendly

· Let them know what you appreciate about them

· Recognise effort

· After taking firm action, resume talking in a friendly manner

· Allow the students to “own” the problem, indicating your faith in their ability to tend to it

· Accept them for who they are, not who you would like them to be

Put yourself in their shoes and see it from their viewpoint

· Avoid nagging.

Often we can become over ambitious in striving for excellence. Approaches towards perfect work can have a harmful effect on your children. If children associate certain areas with having to produce perfect work they may avoid them, if they are not confident in pursuing such a high expectation.

If there is a chance of failure and a chance of avoiding failure - which option are you going to take? As a consequence, the children don’t develop the courage to risk. It is very important for you to have realistic expectations for you children. After all, imperfection only means you’re human! When all else fails, here are some questions to ask yourself:

It is worthwhile “defusing” a tantrum before it actually happens. The more you know your children, the quicker you’ll be able to identify those moments of exploding frustration. Preventing them can reduce the amount of stress in your classroom.

Once you are aware that your child is showing signs of distress or boredom, your job is to intervene, identify the problem and bring them back on task.

Ask your radio teacher or travelling teacher for support if you are getting stressed and keep them informed of your progress.

Inevitably it will happen, there will be something whether it be a lesson, written work, etc., in which your child will not want to participate. Here are some ways to get round it.

· Take a break, but let them know they have an obligation to do it after the break.

· Set a time limit e.g. ”Work on this topic now and at 11.30 we’ll do an activity of your choice”.

· Ask them why they don’t want to do it, it may be because they don’t know how, you can offer assistance.

· If they don’t want to do it that way, put the onus back into them; can you think of any other way of doing it?

· Have ‘time out’ where you leave them to work through it alone, however, indicate that you are nearby to assist if the need is there.

The staff at Camp Education are always there to help. Phone, or get your child to phone their radio teacher for advice or alternatives. If your child is on the verge of rebelling, suggest packing up and simply doing nothing. Let them see you continuing to work at whatever you were doing. There’s nothing children hate more than to do nothing. Let them know that they can continue on from where they left off when they are ready.

· AVOID giving them an attractive alternative that will elect similar behaviour in the future.

As adults we often have a great fear of not knowing, and owning up to the fact appears to be a threat. This should not be the case for adults or children.

Encourage your children to feel comfortable with saying “I don’t know”. At least everyone knows where they stand. Once your child has expressed that s/he doesn’t know, this is your cue as a supervisor to intervene. Ask questions which will generate more thought on the subject from your child. You may even ask. “Are you saying you don’t understand the question, or that you don’t know how to start?” It’s important to isolate the problem and work through it. Sometimes we assume things from an adult viewpoint without taking the child’s perceptions into account.

If your children don’t know encourage them to say `I don’t know` during radio lessons. It’s better to do this than answer for them and give a false impression.

Occasionally you come across a question that your children ask you or that’s in the homework and you are unsure of the answer. Don’t you be afraid to say `I don’t know`. However don’t make this statement in isolation, be prepared to follow it up with, “I wonder how we can find out...”, or “Have you any ideas as to where we could get that information?” Let them know that you’re eager to find out the answer too, and go in search of the information together.

Don’t restrict yourself to books only when looking for information. People are a great resource. You may find someone in your settlement who has a feast of knowledge in that particular area.

Introduction

Aims and Objectives

Question

Send mail to jmcmullen.camp@sec.gov.fk with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © Camp Education 00 500 27118 Last modified: 06/11/2005 13:31:33

Send mail to jmcmullen.camp@sec.gov.fk with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © Camp Education 00 500 27118
Last modified: 06/11/2005 13:31:33