Reference and Education

Throughout the country, many voices have been raised against the over loading of homework. But we can’t deny the fact that Homework is an indispensable part of our education system since long time and still it remains. Even there are large percentages of people today who profoundly believe in it and support for its cause.

Research has already proved that children are more likely to succeed in study if their family takes active participation in their homework assignments and helps them to complete it. Even hiring an online tutor makes it easy to complete the assignments for parents and children as well. In fact it’s a two way opportunity for the whole family to interact, communicate and create better understanding about each other. Other benefits of assigning homework are:

1. It helps the student to revise and practice what they’ve learned in class and prepares them for the next day.
2. It teaches them to be self-disciplined and responsible.
3. It improves children’s memory and thinking skills.
4. It provides a more practical approach to study and to explore the subject more deeply in terms of projects, reports etc.

However it’s only the one side of the coin. When we analyze it practically, we get a different picture all together. To quote author Alfie Kohn “Homework is all pain and no gain”. In his book “The Homework Myth“, Alfie mentioned that “no study has ever found a correlation between homework and academic achievement in elementary school, and there is little reason to believe that homework is necessary in high school. In fact, it may even diminish interest in learning”. Even in certain families homework can be a burden in itself. Especially where both of the parents work outside which is quite common now days. In this case parents have to literally struggle to make their children complete their homework.

So what’s the end line then? Well, it lies in the fact that homework is doubtlessly an imperative part of our student life but teachers should be enough careful not to overload it. For example, the right amount of homework is directly proportional to the age and skills of a child. Research reveals that students up to second grade can gain from 20 to 30 minutes of doing homework while for third to sixth grade 30 to 60 minutes is enough. But from seventh grade onwards students should put an extra hour for doing homework. Parent’s involvement in children’s education can actually spark their enthusiasm for learning. Parents who are busy at work can take the help of online tutors. Especially for the subjects like Math, Science, English etc. Online tutoring is always a wise choice where children as well as parents can be involved from the comfort of their home.

A study tour for any group of students, whatever age, needs to be stimulating and educational. Regardless of the focus of the study tour, there are many fascinating destinations to choose from. Specialised companies offer some exceptional itineraries providing a good mixture of study, fun and cultural immersion. Students need to have the opportunity to put all of the theory they have been studying in the classroom into practice, and visiting another country also gives them the chance to absorb a totally different way of life to their own and learn about the values and beliefs of the people who live there.

Geography is a subject becoming increasingly important in our changing world. You do not have to venture far from the UK to get a taste of some very different geographical phenomena. Europe is home to many famous volcanoes and Tenerife is a particularly good destination for some exciting volcanology fieldwork. One of the Canary Islands, and consequently part of Spain, Tenerife is actually only two hundred miles from the coast of Africa. It has a diverse climate meaning that there are areas that are definitely tropical in nature while others are much more arid. It is also a very active island, volcanically speaking.

Mount Teide

Mount Tiede is Spain’s highest mountain, standing at over 3500m above sea level. Part of the itinerary on your study tour may be to head up to the summit, via cable car, where you will get some awesome views of the surrounding countryside. This volcano is still active and has erupted as recently as 1909. It is classified as a ‘decade’ volcano because of the destructive nature of its eruptions. Mount Tiede is the focal point of the Tiede National Park, which, only a few years ago, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The lava formations and the sulphurous breathing of the volcano really bring it to life and make excellent discussion points for students on a study tour. They can also consider the potential effects of a future eruption when they realise the proximity of this sleeping giant to three major local towns.

Human Impact on Tenerife

There has been huge deforestation in Tenerife in favor of the cultivation of sugar cane. The agriculture is obviously intensive and has had a knock on effect on the ecosystems of the island. A study tour itinerary can include a visit to a local eco village or to one of the many banana plantations here. Students will get a chance to experience the intensity of the farming, the reasons for this intensity and the effects it is having on the island.

Tourism has rocketed on Tenerife as thousands of sun seekers flock to this sunny paradise every year. Again, this has had an effect on the natural resources of the island and is impacting greatly on the environment as a whole. Students can assess the effects and consider possible outcomes and solutions.

The island of Tenerife is diverse and has much for students to explore. The beaches are beautiful and there is always the option of dolphin spotting from the comfort of one of the local fishing boats. A study tour to Tenerife will be a wonderful and enriching experience for students and teachers alike.

Bank managers are not usually anybody’s favourite people but one bank manager in Ghana became both popular and famous as one of the country’s pioneering beekeepers. Mr E K Kwapong was the manager of Barclays Bank of Ghana Limited in Sunyani, Brong-Ahafo Region, when he met Akwesi Addai and became interested in beekeeping. Perhaps he was impressed by the large profits that were being banked by Ghana’s biggest commercial honey producer, not only in Ghanaian Cedis, but in CFA Francs collected from traders from over the border in Cote d’Ivoire. Whatever his motivation, E K Kwapong took up beekeeping with great enthusiasm and helped to spread the craft wherever his employer asked him to serve.

Akwesi Addai had attended the First National Workshop on Beekeeping mounted in Kumasi in January 1981 by the Technology Consultancy Centre (TCC) of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. After establishing his apiary at Nsoatre village and his Kenyan top-bar hive production unit in Sunyani, Akwesi Addai set about offering starter hives and hands-on training to any aspiring beekeeper. He may have been surprised when his bank manager applied for an apprenticeship, but treated like all the others E K Kwapong was soon the proud owner of his own apiary. He hardly had time to enjoy his first honey harvest, however, than Barclays Bank moved him to Tamale in the Northern Region.

E K Kwapong’s story had become known to the TCC in Kumasi and it was considered fortuitous that he was moving to Tamale where the second Intermediate Technology Transfer Unit (ITTU) was slowly coming to life. The ITTU programme included the promotion of beekeeping and the apiarists were happy to welcome Mr Kwapong and use his enthusiasm to motivate new beekeepers throughout the Northern Region. Following the inspiration of his mentor in Sunyani, Mr Kwapong helped and encouraged many other people to take up the craft as a hobby or as a commercial enterprise.

One of the funding agencies supporting the ITTU programme was the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The President of CIDA, Mrs Cartley-Carson came to Ghana and was invited to visit the Tamale ITTU. In addition to the engineering workshops and the woodworking and textile projects it was planned to show the visitor what progress was being achieved in beekeeping. Mr Kwapong was asked to participate in the exhibition and he took up the task with his usual cheerful energy. He dressed up his two tiny children in miniature beekeepers’ suits complete with hats, veils, gloves and boots and incorporated them into his beekeeping demonstration. Needless to say, this captivated the CIDA President and provided one of the highlights of the visit.

Barclays Bank did not show much sympathy for Mr Kwapong’s hobby because once again he was transferred, this time to the head office in Accra. Nevertheless, he maintained his interest in beekeeping as a leading member of the Beekeeping Association of Ghana. E K Kwapong is worthy of being remembered as one of the great pioneering beekeepers who in the 1980s promoted the explosion of interest that took apiculture to all parts of Ghana and changed the lives of hundreds of men and women.