'Maphunziro Apamwamba'
Mariska Westdijk Education Services
Child Friendly Schools Officer (VSO/UNICEF/MoEST)
As Child Friendly Schools Officer (CFSO) I trained and coached the Head Teachers, Teachers, School Management Committees (SMCs), Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), Mother Groups (MGs), Chiefs and Learners of ten primary schools in Yambe Zone in Salima District (Malawi) in how to make their schools more child friendly and assisted the VSO Malawi Education staff in Monitoring and Evaluation activities.
Key themes: literacy, Teaching And Learning Using Locally Available Resources (TALULAR), supervision and community participation in school development.
Impact: improved use of child centered methodologies by teachers, better reading results especially in the infant classes, increased development and use of teaching and learning resources in lessons, improved supervision skills of head teachers, better understanding of roles and responsibilities by various school committees and chiefs, increased number of income generating activities and school development projects by communities - construction of classroom blocks, teachers' houses and toilets - in Yambe zone, opening of additional junior and senior classes, which led to less absenteeism and drop-out.
Reference by Mrs. Towela Nyika, Programme Manager Education VSO Malawi
Continuous Professional Development Facilitator (VSO/DFID/MoEST)
As Continuous Professional Development Facilitator (CPDF) I trained and coached Primary Education Advisors (PEAs), Assistant COordinators (ACCOs), Teacher Development Centre (TDC) Management Committees, Special Educational Needs COordinators (SENCOs) and subject panels in Rumphi and Mzimba North Education Districts (Malawi) in their roles and responsibilities.
I also encouraged exchange between the different zones and districts by facilitating exchange visits and initiating district newsletters and organized CPD activities for teachers.
The pilot project 'Kusambira kwizira mumasebero'; Design, development and use of tools and educative games for literacy in infant classes' was a success. I presented the results at the Malawi Institute of Education (MIE) during the review of the Malawian primary curriculum.
Key themes: literacy, organizing Continuous Professional Development (CPD) activities for English, Mathematics and TALULAR, identifying and helping SEN-learners, supervision, setting up and running TDC libraries, computer use.
Impact: increased number and quality of CPD activities for teachers in the districts, improved supervision, management, record keeping and computer skills of PEAs, incorporation of elements of the pilot project in the new curriculum materials for English and Chichewa in standards 1 and 2, increased development and use of TALULAR in schools, establishment of district and zonal newsletters, more SEN-learners identified and assisted, better cooperation between PEAs and teachers.
Educational Advisor (Adviesgroep voor Identiteit, Levensbeschouwing en Onderwijs)
As Educational Advisor I facilitated workshops 'Structural Identity Consultation (SIC)' in various primary schools in the Netherlands, conducted internal action research and developed 'Het Voetstappenspel', a game with questions, statements, case studies and assignments for teachers to reflect on the identity of their schools.
In the SIC workshops teachers think about what motivates them, what is good education, what is crucial to them in their schools and what characterizes their schools or in other words: which are the religious, educational, pedagogical and organizational dimensions of the identity of their schools? The conversations about this broad concept of identity take place in an open atmosphere via diverse interactive methodologies. During the SIC processes schools choose their own priorities, e.g. formulating mission / vision statements, evaluating and/or selecting resources for Bible Knowledge and/or Religious Education, making decisions about celebrations, day openings, how to pay attention to religious backgrounds of learners, recruitment of teachers and admission of learners, encouraging cooperation between school and parents, and formulating school and class rules.
Member of The Third Chamber (NCDO)
'The winning proposal did not come as a surprise. Mariska Westdijk had made a huge impression with her well-founded presentation on a scholarship system for teachers. Next to that she also won with her activity We are all world citizens. (...)
Mariska targeted Millennium goal number two: education for every child in 2015. Worldwide there are 80 million children not going to school. A scholarship system could contribute to this. And so Mariska asks the ministry of Foreign Affairs to spend money from development aid to scholarships for teachers. This would mean that the shortage of teachers will be cut back and the quality of education will improve. The audience was already convinced by the quality of this proposal and expected this proposal to win. Also because of the argumentation and presentation. Mariska, however, was taken by surprise when she heard she won from chairman of the jury Henk de Haan. Mariska: ‘It is really a huge surprise; I certainly did not expect my proposal to win. But of course, I am very happy.’
Fragment from article by Katherine Hermans, The Third Chamber 06-11-07
Full text article 'Winning proposals inspiring and achievable'
EXPERIENCE
- Child Friendly Schools Officer (CFSO) - Salima District Education Office, Malawi (VSO/UNICEF/MoEST); July 2010 - July 2013
- Continuous Professional Development Facilitator (CPDF) - Mzimba North and Rumphi District Education Offices, Malawi (VSO/DFID/MoEST); June 2008 - May 2010
- Educational Advisor - Adviesgroep voor Identiteit, Levensbeschouwing en Onderwijs, the Netherlands; September 2004 - August 2005 & August 2006 - May 2008
- Member of The Third Chamber (NCDO), the Netherlands; 2007
- Freelance author - SGO Hoevelaken, the Netherlands; 2003 - 2011
- Teacher and Special Educational Needs Coordinator in primary and secondary education - various schools, the Netherlands; Aug 1999 - April 2008
EDUCATION
- University of Utrecht, the Netherlands: Drs. Educational Sciences, cum laude; September 2001 - July 2006
- Ichthus Hogeschool, Department of Education, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, summa cum laude; August 1995 - May 1999
- Interconfessioneel Westland College, Naaldwijk, the Netherlands - Gymnasium; August 1989 - May 1995
- Languages: Chichewa (advanced), Chitumbuka (basic), Dutch (mother tongue), English (very advanced), French (advanced), German (basic)
- Good computer skills: Microsoft Office, Windows Movie Maker, Paint, Kwalitan, SPSS and design of basic websites
PUBLICATIONS
Westdijk, Mariska (2007). Bursaries for teachers. Mijnsheerenland/Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Winning proposal for The Third Chamber, NCDO.
Full text proposal The Third Chamber
Westdijk, Mariska (2010a). CPDF in Mzimba North Education District; Continuous Professional Development Facilitator (June 2008 - February 2010). Rumphi, Ekwendemi, Malawi: report for DFID.
Westdijk, Mariska (2010b). Pilot project 'Kusambiria kwizira mumasebero'; Design, development and use of tools and educative games for reading English in infant classes'. Rumphi/Ekwendeni, Malawi: report for MIE.