Through World Voice project, students sing and learn

AMMAN — In a programme “about joy, creativity and fun”, 91 students from five UNRWA schools performed in the World Voice Concert at Haya Cultural Centre on Tuesday. 

The project is part of the World Voice Programme, which the British Council in Jordan launched in 2013 in partnership with the UNRWA schools. 

It aims at promoting musicality and singing in the classroom so that students and teachers will be able to use singing techniques to improve the learning experience, Alaa Abu Qattam, senior programmes manager of education and society at the British Council, told The Jordan Times.

“Through the programme, we trained five World Voice teachers who have been the driving force of the programme. Another 71 teachers received training by UK experts who trained in return 695 teachers,” British Council Country Director Steve McNulty said in the welcoming speech.

The programme is currently delivered in 17 countries across the globe, according to British Council website.

Hanan Kanash, deputy chief field education programme at the UNRWA, said that the programme is part of UNRWA’s vision regarding fun learning inside the classroom. 

“World Voice is focusing on non-music teachers because music is not part of the curricula, although we have some music classes here and there,” Abu Qattam noted. 

The aim of the programme, according to the British Council official, is to provide basic music and singing techniques to use as part of the teaching process, whatever the subject is.

The programme at first targeted children between the ages of 8 and 10, but now it is expanding to older ones, she said. 

“I am from a country which struggles through war… so I believe that [with] a good education and good music we will never have war,” Rebal Khodari, a Syrian musician and composer who participated in training the students for the concert, said in his speech.

Student Sarah Laham said that she and her classmates feel excited about the English class when the bell rings because they sing and have fun with their teacher. 

Sarah’s mother said she has noticed a real change in her daughter’s personality, becoming more joyful, sociable and daring.

Lina Abu Al Haija, English teacher and master trainer at the programme, noted that the project has improved the students’ learning process, attitude and performance, increasing their love for the subject and for learning in general.