Thursday, March 20, 2008

Kuwait Teachers Society | 37th Education Conference



I was assigned to attend Kuwait Teachers Society conference held in Ramada Hotel the past few days. They were discussing the outcome of our educational system and how to improve it.

Nothing special in the meeting. They all agreed on the fact that our educational system fails to provide what's good for both teachers and students, our curriculum and teaching methods are outdated and inconvenient, and how to improve it instead of standing still or making it get worse than it already is.

The most interesting part was when they discussed and compared the outcome in private education versus public education. Private sector holds a firm average of grades where public sector averages just a bit above the edge.

I may not have a clear view on how to improve our educational system though I know one thing, no one can blame the teacher only for this matter. Education starts at home. When families send in their children as blank as toilet paper with absolutely no ambition then they should never expect them to succeed. If we want our educational system to stand out we have to teach and urge our children at home to respect their teachers and make the best out of their school life, not to come to school waiting to be save by the bell.

But who am I kidding? Leave them 3agad ruin their own lives, their teachers lives, their friends' lives, and after twenty years they become parliament members and ruin the country as well.

9 comments:

Ms. Sarah said...

It's a never-ending vicious cycle.. oo what's worse is the Kuwaiti "uufff, mali khulg" & "waaayy! mako shughul!?" mentality that the students have (& inherit from parents) when it comes to REAL work or at least hobbies and useful stuff..

Ms Loala said...

I agree with you on the parents part thing, but also, SOME teachers must take some responsibility too.

From what i have been through in my 12 years of being educated, lots of teachers choose the teaching career either for the salary or under the influence of their close-minded fathers\husbands.

They come with absolutely zero passion to teach. How students are supposed to enjoy and benefit from being educated if they didn't see their teacher well prepared and enthusiastic about the subject?

Second, some teachers tend to teach using the method "e7fi'6 hatha oo t3al emti7in". It's easy to tell you the truth, and it's a way of clearing their conscience by "yeah, i did what i had to do but your child didn't do his part by memorizing" if the child fails.

Third, they do not encourage personal projects and inventing. They only depend on the course's "written" material (aside from the physical and scientific classes)

Forth, the buildings are crap as hell and there's no denying it! I simply lost my enthusiasm because of their worn out classes. It's a major turn off!!

Fifth, 6aboor al saba7 is as useless as a fly in the house. The sun is burning, the weather is hot and they made us stand for god knows how long for old boring programs.
They should cancel 6aboor al saba7, and start building CLOSED schools for the sake of the kids little minds. It's a hot country, and open schools where the sun ray would crack your skull would definitely lower your IQ!

Again, i'm saying there's a fault with "some" of the teachers and not all of them. I've seen lots of teachers of which their eyes depict their passion for the subject they chose to teach, and i gotta tell ya, i still remember exactly what they taught me.

Anonymous said...

School is overrated.


Atghashmar atghashmar :-p

MacaholiQ8 said...

swair:
Exactly.


ms loala:
Whoa! Ease up, ease up!!

I didn't say don't blame the teachers. Some are to blame, yes. Some students must be blamed for the wasted effort of good teachers and vice versa.

@ 4th & 5th... They are improving regarding these two issues. All schools are being renovated and they will have enclosed corridors and tinted/covered spaces so 6abor al 9aba7 is no longer a problem and it is useful, trust me.


adorra:
It is. :P

Unknown said...

all i can say is al7amdila 3ala my outcome.. o allah yaster min mustaqbal hal deera itha shabab o shabat lkuwait mukh'hum TEBIN.. :(

Anonymous said...

wanasa Mac, tawni astaw3ib, ya3ni yegololek

istath istath istath istath istath istath istath istath istath istath istath istath istath istath istath istath istath istath istath istath


lool

MacaholiQ8 said...

snooks:
Hey long time no see! How have you been?

ee wallah allah yastir. :/


outkasty:
Ee unfortunately. 7anna! :/

Anonymous said...

Here is what teachers tell me: students don't get enough sleep - they go home, take a snooze, play, eat dinner, maybe do a little homework, and go to bed very very late. They come to school groggy and not ready to learn. Some have attitudes - meaning not respecting the teacher and not obeying the teacher. These two items - enough sleep and respect for teachers are definitely parental responsibilities. I would add proper nutrition and supervision of schoolwork - checking that homework is done, looking over work handed back, etc.

MacaholiQ8 said...

Exactly. If the parents do their job well it will be easier for the teachers to do their job well and both will have better outcome.