The British Council are running a five year international project linking head teachers and schools in the UK with counterparts in South America. The SLANT Project (School Leadership and New Tools for Learning) is already in its middle stage. Brazil, the largest of the partner countries, has had two visits from the five UK head teachers recruited to work on leadership and self-evaluation with Brazilian heads. This week saw the first visit of 25 heads from Brazil who spent a week partly in London with the British Council for briefings and partly in the hosts’ schools in London, Devon and Scotland. In this week’s blog, the five Brazilian head teachers reflect on their thoughts about the UK education system and life in this country:"Your country can be a scary place! When we arrived, I was asked if I could: ‘Give a hand’ to someone. I translated the request literally in my head, thinking, ‘Help. Are these English people crazy?’
Opportunities for head teachers in my country to work together are rare. So this British Council SLANT Project has been a dream for us. Not only have the five Brazilian heads visited each others’ schools, they have had two visits from the UK heads, two conferences and now a once in a life time view of the English education system.
We have looked at three secondary and two primary schools in south Devon, developing linked projects on the environment with one school (yes- Brazilian rain forests but local rain fall and temperatures as well); a health project with another and one on volunteering and citizenship with a third. These have the potential for long term relationships between teachers and children, though we have to work hard to overcome language barriers. The English teachers in our Brazilian schools are going to be kept busy!
What really intrigues us is the overarching educational structure in the UK. Within this you have complex but smooth running systems and there is an extraordinary amount of autonomy in English schools compared to ours. For example, your leadership teams, supported by Governing bodies (also an unfamiliar concept to us) are able to employ staff, make budgetary decisions, promote teachers and monitor overall staff performance.
In our state, Pernambucco in the north east of the country, head teachers are elected by the community (in and beyond the school) for a four year term and, if re-elected, can serve two terms only. It means they have massive authority as community leaders and can develop improvement projects with parents.
Opportunities for head teachers in my country to work together are rare. So this British Council SLANT Project has been a dream for us. Not only have the five Brazilian heads visited each others’ schools, they have had two visits from the UK heads, two conferences and now a once in a life time view of the English education system.
We have looked at three secondary and two primary schools in south Devon, developing linked projects on the environment with one school (yes- Brazilian rain forests but local rain fall and temperatures as well); a health project with another and one on volunteering and citizenship with a third. These have the potential for long term relationships between teachers and children, though we have to work hard to overcome language barriers. The English teachers in our Brazilian schools are going to be kept busy!
What really intrigues us is the overarching educational structure in the UK. Within this you have complex but smooth running systems and there is an extraordinary amount of autonomy in English schools compared to ours. For example, your leadership teams, supported by Governing bodies (also an unfamiliar concept to us) are able to employ staff, make budgetary decisions, promote teachers and monitor overall staff performance.
In our state, Pernambucco in the north east of the country, head teachers are elected by the community (in and beyond the school) for a four year term and, if re-elected, can serve two terms only. It means they have massive authority as community leaders and can develop improvement projects with parents.
The students complete regular, published evaluations on their teachers, ranging from punctuality to teaching. The Student Council works alongside the head teacher in promoting learning. The overworked teachers have to do two shifts a day of four and half or five hours with full contact time apart from four hours a week for preparation. Some do evening shifts in addition.
We are most impressed by the discipline in the schools we have visited. In some ways we even wonder whether things are too strict- but that’s a Brazilian perspective. I’m sure you will be surprised to know we think this.
Everywhere we go, we are welcomed and enjoy your hospitality. We have sung for the staff in a morning briefing, for 500 parents at an open day and in one school’s Media Studio for recording purposes. Watch out Brazilian television! Oh- and we even went to BBC Radio Devon for a live breakfast interview when they heard about our fame.
We have learned so much. There are pages of notes to make sense of, many new friends to maintain contacts with and the joy of experiencing a whole new educational world. We are even hoping to take a quick look at London before we fly back to Brazil, taking memories and new knowledge that will never be forgotten. So thanks to everyone for lending a hand. Obrigada"
Jose Amaro Barbosa da Silva, Pernambuco State Education Ministry, Director of EducationBeatriz Brenner, British Council translator Maria Lucia de Souza Pereira, Escola Estadual Maciel Pinheiro
Valmira Maria de Amariz Coelho Cruz, Prof. Carlos Frederico Maciel do Rego Maria do Carmo de Freitas, Escola Dr. Luiz Cabral de MeloAntonio Fernando Santos Silva, Escola José Leite BarrosAlexandre de Arruda Ricardo, Escola Almirante Soares Dutra
The group visited the other five schools in the partnership- Coombeshead College, Teign School, Ashburton Primary School, St Catherine’s Primary School, Heathfield and Blackpool Primary School and were warmly welcomed. A highlight for them was having their photo taken after their radio broadcast (under the BBC sign as you do) when a passerby asked them if they were the Brazilians- she’d just heard them on the radio! ‘Famous,’ said Antonio in amazement.
Alexandre was attacked by a seagull outside Reception. It just swooped on him, causing a cut and bleeding to his head. It is extraordinary and we must see if Health and Safety can advise us on what to do about these birds if they are becoming aggressive. However, there were lots of jokes afterwards because our first aider, Debbie, kept him for half an hour when they were waiting to leave. ‘Must have been a deep cut,’ I said. ‘Oh no, just surface,’ she told me. So the story with the staff is how she enjoyed getting her hands on the attractive Brazilian- she’s looking for flights to Brazil now- one way! And I might have a case now for a seagull cull at last
Alexandre was attacked by a seagull outside Reception. It just swooped on him, causing a cut and bleeding to his head. It is extraordinary and we must see if Health and Safety can advise us on what to do about these birds if they are becoming aggressive. However, there were lots of jokes afterwards because our first aider, Debbie, kept him for half an hour when they were waiting to leave. ‘Must have been a deep cut,’ I said. ‘Oh no, just surface,’ she told me. So the story with the staff is how she enjoyed getting her hands on the attractive Brazilian- she’s looking for flights to Brazil now- one way! And I might have a case now for a seagull cull at last
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