What’s So Different About Your Class?

Many highlights were shared during the recent debrief with the test teachers of the Obedience module on the Lower Primary level. Let me just list some of them in bullet points. Some will be duplicates because several teachers mentioned that highlight. I’m sure you will join us in praising God.

• Warm reception by school; administration said “programme must be part of the school timetable”; Head Teacher and other classrooms teachers attended the Values Education Class (VEC).
• Children loved the songs and began singing as soon as they saw their VEC teacher coming
• Bookmarks (usually given during the 6^th lesson to pupils who completed all their Activity Sheets) were so special that Head Teacher asked they be given when parents pick the grades
• The Ms in his class participated very well, including completion of the Activity Sheets. One M student prayed in Jesus’ name.
• One M girl who lives with her grandmother asked her grandmother to sign the Activity Sheet (to indicate that the child had kept the Values Promise that week), but was refused for two weeks. On the 3rd week, the grandmother signed which thrilled the pupil.
• Many parents told the school that VEC is a good programme and must continue. Administration wants all classes in the school to be taught.
• Madam Susan asked “why are the children so eager to learn in your class? That’s not true in other classes.”
•  M girl showed keen interest. Her parent wrote on an Activity Sheet, “Thanks for what you are doing; it is good. But don’t give her the Bible to read.”
• Parents came to him with testimonies of how the VEC had “completely changed” their child and others asking what were they teaching that made such a big impact on their child.
• Some requested that the VEC programme be extended to the entire community.
• The school administration showed much interest in VEC. The Head Teacher wants it to continue because the discipline among the pupils has improved. That change was felt, not only in the school but also in the community which is known for being hard.
• One M pupil cried when he missed getting a Bookmark because he was one Activity Sheet short (he later was given one).
• Five children were members of families involved in a cult. Following the first day, 4 of the children were not allowed to go to school on Friday, the day of VEC. The 5th child attended but did not take home his Activity Sheet. Each Monday, the rest of the class retold the VEC lesson to the four who were absent.
• From a class of 187, 87 were selected to attend his VEC. Other pupils who weren’t chosen would jump through the window to join the class.
• Even after just two lessons, the administrators and parents began talking about the big change they saw in the pupils. Parents came to the school to ask about this new programme that was affecting their child’s behaviour. Administration said the atmosphere of the whole school was changed by VEC.
• One school wrote a letter to Scripture Union requesting that the programme continue “forever.”
• Most of the pupils from one school were from rich families and were quite naughty and hard-headed. The teachers recommended that the VEC teacher take a stick (commonly used for discipline) with her when she taught. She didn’t and her VEC was quiet and orderly; the pupils loved it. The teachers witnessed that the class had changed and acted better even in their other subjects.