Veiled Sentiments-my muse ;-)
The United States is trying to help an American teacher to leave Kuwait after the Gulf Arab state imposed a travel ban on her, the U.S. embassy said on Saturday.
The case of Katherine Phillips has made headlines in the local press after the teacher posted on the Internet a letter, asking for help after she fell out with the family of a student she had suspended after a fight.
Philipps, a former vice-principal of a private school in Kuwait, said that the authorities had slapped a travel ban on her at the request of the son's family who had been angered by her decision, according to the letter posted on the Web and quoted by the Arab Times daily.
The U.S. embassy confirmed in a statement a travel ban had been imposed on her, adding its consular section was in contact with the authorities to help Phillips leave Kuwait as soon as possible.
Kuwait, a staunch U.S. ally, was the launch pad for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and is home to several thousands of U.S. troops.
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I've met my share of expat teachers who have literally destroyed kids' self-esteem. I've also seen enough racism amongst them to say, finally, one of them screwed with the wrong family. If she's that bad, maybe they should just let her go and put a ban on her preventing her from working anywhere else in the Gulf. I'm a bit jaded though - I've met few expat teachers that I thought were actually competent, if not just downright mean spirited.
You know, vagabond, in my 6 years teaching overseas, rather than seeing teachers destroying self-esteem, I would say I saw many emotionally unstable people working as teachers. Too many to count, really. I also saw incompetent but generally pleasant teachers. I've known men in the Gulf who carried on w/ their female students in an inappropriate manner (even dating some of them).
From the standpoint of a teacher formerly in the gulf, I find it easier to believe that a parent w/ wasta created a problem than I do a teacher did something so horrific that she needed to be detained. I've seen the wasta cut both ways, though. A colleague of my friends was drunk driving in the UAe, and wrecked his car. He tried to leave the scene, but was caught and detained. What eventually got him out was a colleague tutoring for the sheikha's kids in another emirate. She asked if she could help, next thing you know, bob's your uncle. The drunk driver got out of prison.
Using their powers for evil, instead of...evil.
Nope... I'd say this one is an example of spoiled rotten rich kids who run the schools and force the administration to pass them no matter how lazy and ill-mannered they are. Not only pass them, but give them A's. I wouldn't have taught K-12 in the Gulf for 10 times the salary that I received in university. By then the kids have matured into pleasant polite humans.
The story here is pretty accurate... a rich influential man who refuses to accept that his son should have to behave in school and follow the rules of normal lowly people. No, he has to screw with her... and presumably it makes him think he's important, but it only proves he is everything that gives Kuwaitis a bad reputation in both the Arab World and the larger world.
VS
Kuwait may be different from the UAE, but I know of several very well to do and very highly connected Emirati kids that have either been not "invited back" or asked to leave. They did not "detain" anyone for this. Let me add, though, that they can probably buy their way into just about any British or American University.
Having been a parent of 2 kids there, as well, I've seen the 'wasta' and it works more for the teachers' (no offense Cairogal) and administration's kids than for anyone else. Granted, both my kids had teachers they loved, but they were few and far between and were eventually run off. BTW, this 'wasta" crap plays out big time in Baku, where the parents sue each other, the school and anyone else they can name, hiring attorneys, and it goes on and on, forever.
Anonymous, spoiled kids come from all backgrounds, not just Kuwaiti. There are plenty of influential westerners whose kids get away with murder and no discipline, whatsoever. Plus, let me just add, in an expat school, there is no room for any student with "problems" whether it be emotional, ADD, etc. If you are not normal, then you won't fit in either. Westerners are more willing to accept and admit to this than non-westerners, who tend to deny it.
This issue is too freaking complex and I could go on and on, but I'll just shut up for now.
It's an interesting viewpoint from the parent of western expat kids. I have to say that I mainly taught kids from non-western backgrounds, so I can't speak to the elite English-speaking kids. My school in the UAE was preferred by Emiratis. Lots of 'wasta' via the crooked administration. We had those well-connected Emirati kids who never got kicked out. Firstly, because it was money the school wanted. Secondly, because even for those who were really badly behaved, their parents managed to exert enough influence on the school officials to make sure those kids stayed. We're talking very big family names in Sharjah and Dubai.
I would never argue that the quality of expat teachers in the UAE was stellar, but I can't say that I often came across a western colleague who was cruel. I could point to many colleagues from various countries in the region who physically hit their students on occasion and verbally insulted them w/ terms that would have had most of us "western" expats on the plane packing. "Shut up", "Stupid", "idiot", and "dumb" should not be in any teacher's vocabulary, but we were told directly never to use this language, while many of our more permanent regional expat colleagues got away with it. I never understood how that worked.
Very few of us teachers had kids in the school, but for those that did, the benefits weren't even across the board. A teacher w/ the school for many years struggled to get 'permission' to send her dyslexic student to another school w/o losing her employment contract for the following year. Another western expat, higher up the food chain and in the school for years, had a son who did miraculously on exams. I can't really say that all the faculty kids were overall treated better than the others. I often found that they were better behaved (though not always).
"Plus, let me just add, in an expat school, there is no room for any student with "problems" whether it be emotional, ADD, etc."
That's very true, but it's changing. There are some good schools in the UAE that have popped up in recent years. I visited a friend's classroom at Uptown Mirdif Primary in Dubai this last January. She had less than 15 students, many of them w/ learning challenges. They were of mixed mental ages, but the school made it work. The problem w/ the UAE is that private schools are the only option-particularly for non-Arabic speakers. The schools are businesses, first and foremost. Creating staff for special needs is not financially viable for most schools. If it were, they'd all be offering opportunities for kids w/ special needs to be effectively integrated into the classroom. Even those that do accept kids with special needs find themselves working w/ parents of more serious cases, arranging for the parents to pay some of the full-time aids and assistants that need to hired for their children specifically.
"Anonymous, spoiled kids come from all backgrounds, not just Kuwaiti."
Very true. But imagine that a teacher from India takes a contract w/ Cleveland Public Schools. Some parents complain, though the teacher hasn't broken any laws. How many of us would have the ability to stop that teacher from getting on plane back to India?
I'll have to agree w/ VS on this. If that teacher in Kuwait had broken a law, then they would have stated as much. Instead, she just wasn't allowed out. I've been on the receiving end of parents who thought they owned me. I've also taught very kind and humble people of that same nationality. Tragically, it's just too easy for some to exert that small amount of control as a retaliation for the teacher who wouldn't change the mark, who issued the punishment, or stood her ground.
After over 15 years of teaching university in the Gulf, the tales that I heard over and over again... about the UAE, Kuwait, and Saudi in the quasi international schools (ie... not the ones where Western expats sent their kids) matched Cairogal's tales... and I can tell worse... much worse. It was a case of the inmates running the asylum and the teachers had zero power.
BUT the good news is that the hard work of her employer and other parents at the school... along with a Kuwaiti lawyer and the Kuwait Human Rights organization has managed to remove the travel ban. I'm not sure if she has flown out yet though.
VS
Whenever you live overseas you hear stories about all the schools. Whatever goes on at a school comes from the top down and if you have someone who's going to kow-tow to every one who threatens them, then you've got a problem; On the other hand, you don't want to make the atmosphere repressive, which is pretty much what happened to us.
Most of the western schools are there to entice families to move and work in the area. Some were started by the oil companies back in the '60's and then made private. When we first looked at our school, it resembled a private school like the ones we had seen in Shaker. When the administration and board changed over, within one year, it started resembling a school in Katy, Texas. Teachers were directed to come down harder on students for every infraction, regardless of how small - and that of course was determined by the teacher. One teacher tried to have a student suspended for shooting rubber bands at the ceiling - suspended, not detention, mind you. It went from being a very pleasant school to one with a mean spirited atmosphere, with both parents and older teachers in revolt. But, this was a situation of a superintendent bending over backwards to please a board president, who was a company exec, and believed in running the school like the company, and demanded what might be described as old Catholic style school discipline.
I will say though, I have heard stories of woe from new expats who were promised one thing, either by the expat school or the company, that ended up practically ruining their careers or breaking up families. This would be with both our and other private western schools, and not necessarily due to learning abilities either. Some schools "reserve" seats for students from certain companies and refuse admittance to anyone else, leaving those seats open (they're paid for in advance.)
True some of the international schools are rabid about getting important locals, international diplomats, etc. to "come on down," and let the kids get away with all sorts of wrongdoing. Again, I've heard stories of teachers throwing chairs at students, and being allowed to stay on and of teachers who were loved by the students being suddenly dismissed, because of a few parent complaints. It's a messed up system and because they're not bound by any of the laws we have, they can pretty much run it the way the superintendent and board wants - and that's where the tone of the school gets started.
I would be interested to hear exactly what happened between this teacher and the local family, and what school it was too.
Let me add that both of our kids ended up in boarding school for high school. We were tired of the inconsistent teaching, inconsistent friendships you encounter as an expat, the tone of the school; we wanted stability for our kids and a place for them to learn where their ideas and comments were respected on an equal basis as their classmates, and not dependent on whether they attended church over the weekend, or whether they were seen smoking sheesha. Sorry for the long post.
No need to apologise for a long comment on this blog!
She was at Bayan School in Kuwait.
I think we are talking about two different things here. You are talking about schools for expat kids, which are only a small minority of schools in the Middle East... even a small majority of those known as "international schools." They are a whole other kettle of fish...
The schools CG and I are talking about are full of the children of the richest and most influential of the local families and perhaps some of the wealthier expat Arab families. It is a status symbol to have Western teachers, but the pay is not good and the conditions are pretty much nightmarish.
There is one school for the rich Saudis in Riyadh that hired almost all American teachers... and every year half of the new teachers would run screaming to the airport within the first month. It was a great year if one or two renewed their contracts.
The only chairs ever thrown were at teachers by students. Teachers were and are regularly physically attacked by the students. Nothing is ever done to stop it... because our little prince can do no wrong... and oh BTW... make sure that all of his grades are A, even though he sleeps through class to rest up for the banshee screaming attacks when he is awake.
School managements are considered good if they at least help you staunch your bleeding and appear to feel sorry. But they never do anything to stop the kids... and the only punishments handed out are to teachers that may try to fight back.
I have to say that through my years in Oman and the UAE, I never heard any of the parents complain about the American and British schools that their kids attended. The only complaints that I ever heard was about the high cost.
VS
VS: Hahaha. I laugh because my daughter and I spotted a private school for girls in Abu Dhabi, which seemed right out of the east coast - brick buildings (can you imagine) with open fields. Absolutely beautiful, but only open to Emiratis. I understood it to be very exclusive and a school that the women from the Royal family attended. We had a boys local school around the corner from our villa. OMG, they made the kids do exercises every morning before class. One lady told me her son was soaking wet in sweat by the time he got inside.
Actually, re: the cost: It's equivalent to a day student at a private school in the U.S. But not equivalent in quality. We were fortunate because our company offered a certain percentage towards boarding school tuition.
Here's the way I see it: When my son was in school overseas, he did not get the grades, etc some of his friends did. When they all applied to some of the same colleges, my son got in and they did not, and I believe part of that has to be the reputation of the school (his friends were on honor roll and he just missed it). When you see graduates getting into less competitive colleges every successive year, you have got to wonder what the hell is going on. Many parents don't realize it (they don't look at the stats, or even the college announcements), until it's too late and won't express any remorse about it either. If I sat idly by, while my child's education went slowly down the tubes, maybe all I'd complain about was the cost (but most companies usually cover that.)
Yes, I do have it out for everyone, but since both my husband and I had bad educational experiences, we did not wish the same for our kids. We wanted them to grow into secure adults, enjoy learning, enjoy school, and get the best education they could. We just did not see that as a possibility overseas.
It's probably a good thing that I never had kids as I would never have been satisfied with the educational situation these days. It has been all down hill in our system since the early 1970's.
I probably would have been the original home schooler!!
LOL
VS
Wow, VS - strange you mention that. Home schooling was becoming popular in Abu Dhabi when we left. Several of the other dissatisfied families I knew had pulled their kids out to do so; and some combined classes at ACS with on-line home schooling courses.
As for going down hill, a friend recently told me ACS, which used to offer like 6-7 AP Exams, is only offering 1 next year. They're going IB and with a few hundred new American families, they've got one pissed off community to contend with. Basically, this means no dedicated American Educational system in Abu Dhabi, unless one of the other schools decides to contend with it.
Btw, I just wanted to say, the locals at ACS were never independent minded like this Kuwaiti family. Whenever there were problems, the locals and the rest of the community would band together to confront the administration (usually to no avail.)
There is no way I could home school my kids and I admired the ladies there who took it on.
Actually I was talking about the horrid condition of the American education system LOL, which is abysmal based on what my friends are receiving as Freshman in the colleges here now. They have zero knowledge of history, geography, grammar, spelling, basic math skills... and on and on. She said that her borderline ESL students from overseas are all head and shoulders above the American kids in general knowledge. And I am from a state that consistently scores in the top 3 of the SATs.
Interestingly I have heard that many urban school systems in the US are now offering the IB program because parents feel that it is superior to the current American system.
And actually most of my friend who had decided to home school overseas did so because they had more than 2 kids and couldn't afford the tuition. If you are in education, you are lucky if your allowance for school fees covers one kid, rarely two, and never more than that.
VS
Typically everyone I knew was covered for educational expenses by the co. regardless of number of kids. Depends on the co. though.
Not sure what I think of IB. Our son says many kids at his college are IB's. On the other hand, we are still being told that AP's are an essential addition to a college application, even most colleges now will only accept a score of at least 3 or higher (some only a 5). It's an indication, regardless of score, at the student's willingness to be challenged.
The problems you state in your first paragraph were part of why we decided on boarding school. The foreign students from overseas schools do better, for some reason than Americans from overseas schools. Some of these private foreign schools, like Chouifat are intensely rigorous. More so than many of the other schools.
In addition, when one of the moms looked at the stats for ACS graduates, she found a unsettling number of college freshman drop-outs, which just indicated to us that they weren't really preparing them for the challenges in college.
Since I was never happy with the public schools in the States, where we lived, to begin with, I can't argue with you there. It's true. You always hear about those polls they take where most H.S. students can name the winner of American Idol, but can't name one Supreme Court Justice.
Or the president of the US... or find Washington DC on a map... or the reason for the holiday on the 4th of July... or the significance of the year 1776...
And unfortunately that is not a joke, but reality.
What I was taught in High School in the 1960's is what they now learn in the first three years of university. But, no problem... they have nice high self-esteem and are confident that they deserve an A no matter what their performance.
VS
"What I was taught in High School in the 1960's..."
Wow, VS. That's the closest you've ever come to dating yourself! ;-)
I don't think I have kept it a secret. I did mention in the Mr Egypt thread that I was old enough to be your mother and the candidates grandmother. :-)
Over on Dave's I've always been openly a member of the oldies along with Scot47. I'll be 59 next week... and next comes the big 60!!
But fortunately I look younger... most people still guess that I am 40. I think it is the long long hair and the fact that I am still pretty slim.
Of course the credit goes to the genes... and I suspect, the fact that I have stayed single and childless. It is husbands and kids that make us old before our time. Ha!! Plus I have avoided the sun because I always burned super quickly.
VS
Without seeing you, I would have pegged you closer to 50, becase when you said you were old enough to be my mother I was thinking "biologically". lol
Is scot47 born in 1947? I think I must assign lots of people to '35' in my mind, esp. on that board.
What's your birthday? I'll be 35 on July 14th!
I think you're right about not being married or having kids. It tends to add years for some. Those who escape it, I admire their youthful genes and the ability to make time for themselves.
My birthday is advertised all over on little quick mart places... 7-11.
Lots of mid-30's teachers in the Middle East. I was just 37 when I hit Cairo in '85. I think it may have something to do with being that age and making a career move before one reaches decrepitude... :-)
VS
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