Some Classroom Differences

As you may have guessed, there are a lot of differences between Malagasy and American classrooms. We often get asked by our Malagasy friends or those at English clubs what we think of these differences, which one we think is better, and whether there are any similarities. All of my colleagues try to sugarcoat their responses. It usually goes something like this; “Oh, umm… yeah. There are a lot of differences, and not that one is necessarily better than the other, you know? Each system has its pros and cons. Each system has its difficulties and challenges that they have to face. So, you know, we have to tackle those challenges differently. But there are a lot of positives.” A colleague will then proceed to say something wicked superficial and arbitrary about the Malagasy education system which, always, holds no substance and really only describes a given aspect. For example, large class sizes, blackboards instead of whiteboards, school uniforms, multiple class line-ups at certain periods throughout the day, etc.

These responses have very little baring on what my colleagues actually think. All it really accomplishes is confusing our listeners who, although Malagasy people are indirect, are not attuned to English being used in this underhanded context. I understand what my colleagues are trying to do. They are avoiding the “white-superiority complex”, “the white savior complex”, “colonial thought complex”, and a multitude of other complexes that they’re trying not to perpetuate via direct and honest criticisms of another culture’s way of doing things. I understand the desire for curtesy, although I know it’s what we could call bull**** because I’ve heard them complain enough about many other things that are different here than in the States and how “stupid” or “wrong” these different practices are. I find it interesting when our desire for diversity enters direct conflict with our personal preferences. Most of the time, our reaction is hostile when these things conflict, but rarely do people recognize that it goes directly against their desire for the proposed inherit value of diversity of cultures.

I, however, spent a lot of time studying education economics and can confidently claim with supporting data and evidence that there are ways of structuring an education system and school layout that are more efficient in producing better and more abled students than others. Thus, when I am confronted with the question, I layout what I know in the politest way that, although America has, as my colleagues mention, its own problems that need solving when it comes to education, it remains superior to the Malagasy education system on a qualitative and quantitative level. The discrepancy lies very much in the details of these differences. And like all good economists, I have presented these differences in Excel format below for your convenience.

	United States	Madagascar
Classroom size	The United States, in many places, encourages smaller classroom sizes to increase attention given to students. This is not always achieved due to lack of funding or the national teacher shortage. Nonetheless, it remains a focus of the education system.	Malagasy classes range from 25-60 students in the city and can reach up to 100 students in some places. There are so many students that most teachers do not know their names. Most teachers have 5 classes they teach for the year and they see these classes 4 hours each week.
​Classrooms	Teachers in the United States have their own classrooms. This is a space they own and can decorate as they see fit. Usually, a lot of time, thought, and effort goes into designing a classroom that is open, welcoming, and used as a teaching tool, such as conjugation charts in language classrooms or formulas in a physics or mathematics classroom. Teachers remain in their classrooms while students move from classroom to classroom.	Each classroom belongs to a group of students (theoretically). The classrooms only differ in the number of desks, space, and tools (meaning whether you have a small or large blackboard). There are no decorations or learning tools on the walls. Teachers must travel from classroom to classroom (similar to how universities do it).
Teaching Style	Teaching pedagogy in the United States is progressive in the sense that many teachers have come to adopt more student-centered strategies of teaching that try to incorporate student input, a variety of learning strategies, and focus more on student participation. That's not universal in the United States, but it is theoretically the direction most teachers have tried to go in recent years. This approach, however, is difficult to accomplish well and results in poor outcomes if done improperly or if students are unwilling or incapable of autonomous learning.	Teaching in Madagascar is teacher-centered. Nearly every class is a type of lecture where the teacher writes on the board, speaks from a chair and desk that sits on an elevated stand in the front of the class, and presents the necessary information to students who are expected to copy and memorize the information. Part of this is due to large class sizes which are non-conducive to student-centered learning without extreme difficulty.
Testing	Standardize testing lingers in the United States but is beginning to go out of fashion, particularly the SAT and ACT. To graduate, you need to complete a certain number of credit hours and retain a certain GPA.	In Madagascar, your grade for your class is only for that class and there is no GPA. Instead, as long as you pass the nationalized exam at the end of the year, you move on to the next grade. At the end of 9th grade, you take a standardized national test. If you pass, you are no longer required to finish high school and you can choose to move on or leave. High school is grade 10-12. Grade 12 is called terminal and these students take the baccalaureate, a French-origin exam that allows them to earn a certificate and apply for university, if they pass. If not, they must repeat terminal. I have some students who are 20 years old in terminal.
Grades	America uses, normally, a 100-point scale that translates to letter grades that translate to Grade Points (GP) that are accumulated and averaged to a Grade Point Average (GPA).	Grades only pertain to individual classes and are graded on a 20-point scale (from French origin) where 10 is a passing grade. I can't explain why. Although, a 15/20 is a stellar grade. Again, I can’t explain how or why.
Teacher/ Student Relationship	More traditional teachers retain a strictly professional relationship with their students. However, more contemporary teachers tend to have more personal relationships with their students and their expectations vary wildly in classroom behavior and conduct.	The teacher is a superior figure in the classroom. Students stand when he/she enters and remains standing until told to sit, at which they all say, "thank you teacher." Students clear the whiteboard, clean the classrooms, and obey the commands of the teachers. Teachers are addressed as "teacher". Most students don't know their teachers' names and vice versa.
Tracks and Classes	Once they enter middle school and high school, students, outside the required courses, have free reign over electives and what kind of classes and focuses they want to have. This means that you may not be with your friends because you have different schedules.	A class sticks together in Madagascar. The grade is divided into classes at the beginning of the year and the students remain in this class for the year where they take the same classes in the same room all year. Once the student reaches grade 11, they select one of three tracks: Literature, Science, or Organization/Society/Economics. Each track has different classes and requirements and determines what you will focus on during the final testing period. It is difficult to move to a different track once started. For example, I have TS 3 and TL 5 which stand for terminal science 3 and terminal literature 5. There are also no art or music classes.
Resources	As much as American teachers claim a lack of resources, the variety and amount of resources for a teacher (whether provided by the school or not) is almost limitless. Printing, writing material, online resources, teacher associations, whiteboards, board games, projectors, touch screens, etc. It may take a while to accumulate over time, but the resources are there. It is, however, often difficult to access them if there is a lack of funding or a stubborn school administration or school board.	Contrast to Madagascar, in addition to the difficulty of accessing resources is finding resources at all. Not having a room means the teacher is limited to whatever he/she can carry. Printing is difficult because of how many students there are. It is always a struggle, and I have dealt with it myself. I have had to make due with just a blackboard.
Scheduling	School schedules are virtually set in stone in America. To change the schedule for an individual student is not typically complicated unless there is a conflict between two classes. However, that conflict can only exist because the macro schedule is normally determined and not easily changed.	Schedules are fluid and can be changed at any time. It took three weeks for my teaching scheduled to get finalized which means I taught 5 different classes for only one day and I won't teach them again. I've had multiple occasions where I've arrived to a classroom where another teacher decided to extend his/her class an extra hour. Classes are supposed to be about an hour long. In reality they're more like 40-50min if you're lucky. For example, at 9am there is a 15min break at my school. But the 8am class ends at 8:50, so it's really 25min. And the 9am class ends at 9:48, so that "hour-long" class is actually 32min. A class scheduled for 11-12 is actually 11:05-11:45. There is no consistency. Also, classes start at 7am and finish at 5:30pm. Sometimes I will get to a class scheduled for 4:30 and none of the students will be there because they had the 3:30-4:30 block free. So they went home because they didn't want to wait an hour for me to finish another class.
Lunch	Lunch is abysmal in American schools from the variety to the lack of time, sometimes only being 20min. This reflects our short school day in comparison.	Lunch is scheduled from 12-1:30. Nonetheless, because the 11am class gets out at 11:45, it's closer to an hour and 45min. There is no cafeteria, although there are a few small lunch vendors who are allowed to sell things in the school yard. Also, some people live at the school, like the security guards and some of the caretakers. Students sometimes pack lunch, but they more often leave the school and find some street food or go home for lunch if they live close enough. I either go to a nearby food court to find some peace or I pack a lunch when I have English club which happens during lunch on Tuesdays.

And there you have it. Students and teachers have it rough in Madagascar. There is an even bigger teacher shortage here than in the States. Combine that with the fact that the overwhelming majority of the country’s population is under 18, the related problems become exacerbated and amplified. In fact, a lot of children just don’t go to school at all and never have. I’m not going to add suggestions on how to solve the problems. It’s not my place, but there are lessons to be learned. How we go about obtaining the solutions that can fix these problems, both in America and Madagascar, is very much open for debate, although the education economics has some pretty darn useful information on the topic.

Either way, being part of an education system as crazy and wild as the one here makes me appreciate having been homeschooled and, although imperfect and flawed, having experienced the public school system in the States. It has been a good experience. Most of my classes (all 19 of them) range from 25-50 students. Controlling a classroom that big while trying to teach anything has been a challenge I haven’t faced since teaching personal fitness merit badge in Scouts, which is literally one of the most boring merit badges in history, and merit badges include finger printing merit badge and even personal management merit badge. Heck, I loved the law merit badge, and most students would rather throw up than learn about the law.

The challenges make me take my current vocation as an educator seriously. That means making harsh criticisms when necessary but not allowing those challenges and faults prevent me from doing what I’ve been called to do; teach English and inspire my students to the best of my ability. If anything, the challenges of the Malagasy education system have been training me to think outside of the box and try new approaches and tactics in the classroom, something which is difficult to do in the States where there is more pressure to produce high GPAs and test results. If anything, it’s given me more tools for when I, for whatever reason, inevitably teach in the future.

Anyways, don’t take this as a blaring attack on another country’s education system. It has more flaws than the American system, for sure. But there are countless students who try their hardest and make the best of what they are given. Sometimes it puts to shame some American students I have worked with. I pray that some of the challenges, to which we have the solutions, will be dealt with accordingly in a reasonable time. And honestly, I have some pretty great students who are bright, able, and longing for a chance to use their brains in meaningful ways. As always, know that you are in my prayers each morning. All I ask is that you do the same for me.

May God be praised.