A new programme at Dellwood Middle School could spark a revolution in how local students are taught about responsibility, harmony and community relations.

The Ashay: Rites of Passage programme is a pilot programme that received $60,000 from the Ministry of Education implemented at the middle school level. Educators expect to reach children when they are most vulnerable to teach them about integrity and self-worth, by using seven principles that transcend all cultures; Peace unity, justice, reciprocity, harmony, truth and righteousness.

“If you don't know who you are you don't know where your place is in society and our children are feeling alienated and they feel they don't have a stake in society because they don't understand who they are,” explained Meloyde Micere Van Putten, the programme's developer.

She added: “That's why I can take a machete to a soccer game because I don't know where I belong.”

Mrs. Van Putten is Mwalimu, or master teacher, and everyday, dressed in traditional African garb, she attempts to guide middle school students on the path of finding their genius.

“You all have genius in you,” she tells her students, who on any given day are a mix of all the middle school years.

Throughout the class the students often turn to each other and tell their fellow students to work their genius.

But they are still middle school students: easily distracted.

“I use distraction as a tool in my classes. It's not about yelling and screaming and telling someone to stand in the corner.

“Children know a lot more when they come into the classroom than they used to. We need to stop teaching them like we did back then,” she said.

The important feature of this African journey is that all of the students can feel welcome to join the ride.

“It's not an ethnic-central programme at all. It's not about that, it's what they're learning,” explained science teacher Nancy O'Leary.

“She's (Mrs. Van Putten) taken Africa as a vehicle and teaching it through that path. You could teach it through any path: art, music or science.”

On a recent test the children were asked their opinion about the programme. The feedback was encouraging because even at the overwhelmingly black populated school students of different cultural backgrounds are not feeling alienated.

A Portuguese student wrote: “This class is very educational to people who don't know a thing about Africa.

“It helps us to understand and respect other people's cultures and their way of life.”

During a class a Portuguese girl tells the class that to be victorious is to accomplish your goals.

The children are learning the principles of the African culture as a way to deal with everyday situations, Mrs. Van Putten added.

Ms O'Leary has incorporated the Ashay programme into her science class whenever she can and encourages the children to bring up any of the issues covered in class.

“It's great to see other teachers adopting the values into their classes,” said social studies teacher Joseph Robinson, who also sits in on the Ashay classes.

He added: “That's really a testament to what has been happening because they are going about bringing these values into the classroom on their own.”

What's important to Mrs. Van Putten is that the children learn to apply the values in all facets of their lives.

She previously held the position of education officer from 2001 to 2002 when she saw first hand that public school students were receiving no black history education.

“What is the effect of that on the children's psyche?” Mrs. Van Putten questioned.

The Africalogist spent 12 years teaching a similar programme in the US and now has created a programme to fit Bermudian students.

“On every level this programme is a vehicle for self-development. It's also about character and falls under the umbrella of character education. All of these values transcend race,” she said.

For black children in public schools it is a way to reinforce who they are and what their African ancestors accomplished.

A time line pinned to the classroom wall spans years before Christ and paints a vivid picture of what the African people accomplished.

At the end of class the students sing their way through the years of discovery that include astronomy, mathematics and architecture.

Ms O'Leary added: “Some avenue has to be created because the children are not getting this outside in the community. It's going to take time but already I see them respond when you remind them about what they are learning.”

Mr. Robinson said: “Shifting of values and behaviour is hard. We're showing these children another way to look at something but it will take time to adopt these values.”

The school has already decided to carry on with the programme with the hopes that Ashay, which means ‘it is good', will spread to more schools.