Reading the latest Kuwait saga betwen Lavinia- ISR- FBS Kuwait is like a soap opera........for goodness sake
www.donaldwheresurtroosers.wordpress.com
ISR steps in to save the day in Kuwait again
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Traveller1
- Posts: 93
- Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:18 pm
Miski, the 'soap opera' will continue as long as private schools in Kuwait continue to hire foreigners who don't understand Arabic culture and values or until the schools and their owners hold to western standards of accountability.
The problem is not exclusively a Kuwaiti problem, it happens in Central and East Asia, South America, Africa and is widespread in the Middle East. It often happens when someone (often wealthy or powerful) decides that owning a private school with western teachers is a good way to make money. Unless they know what they're doing conflict is inevitable.
Unless you have taught in a context that is totally unfamiliar to you, say in Russia, Benin or Bolivia and you are on the wrong end of what seems to be bureacratic bungling or dishonesty, you won't understand why the recent issues raised by ISR draw such widespread criticism from the international teaching community.
At the moment Kuwait is in the news, but before that it was Thailand and in two months time it could be Colombia. Hopefully the upside of it all, and you should view this in a positive light, is that people thinking of working in Kuwait will be more aware of the issues before accepting a job there.
The problem is not exclusively a Kuwaiti problem, it happens in Central and East Asia, South America, Africa and is widespread in the Middle East. It often happens when someone (often wealthy or powerful) decides that owning a private school with western teachers is a good way to make money. Unless they know what they're doing conflict is inevitable.
Unless you have taught in a context that is totally unfamiliar to you, say in Russia, Benin or Bolivia and you are on the wrong end of what seems to be bureacratic bungling or dishonesty, you won't understand why the recent issues raised by ISR draw such widespread criticism from the international teaching community.
At the moment Kuwait is in the news, but before that it was Thailand and in two months time it could be Colombia. Hopefully the upside of it all, and you should view this in a positive light, is that people thinking of working in Kuwait will be more aware of the issues before accepting a job there.
Well said, Traveler. And really, there lies the crux -- putting forth a true effort to understand the culture in which you have chosen to live. And may I add, accepting it as well; as long as said cultural practices are not inhumane or potentially dangerous to a foreigner. In my own experience (and I was one of them at one time while living and teaching abroad) I saw American teachers continually try to create mini-Americas while overseas, while constantly complaining about the ways of the locals. The whole abaya issue in Saudi Arabia, for example, was something that I eventually just learned to embrace yet other foreign women would make a huge deal about in open markets and stores, thus bringing undue attention to themselves and disrespecting the culture.
At some point in one's international career you have to ask those hard questions to yourself about the reasons you have chosen to teach abroad. Some of the healthiest and most pleasant international teachers I have known want a true cultural experience -- to learn and grow with peoples different from their own culture. In no way am I condoning mistreatment of any person, yet Traveler is absolutely right about understanding the culture, for example. Once you get to that point, you begin to realize that you can 'let go' of a lot of things which other people turn into drama and unnecessary stress and strife.
At some point in one's international career you have to ask those hard questions to yourself about the reasons you have chosen to teach abroad. Some of the healthiest and most pleasant international teachers I have known want a true cultural experience -- to learn and grow with peoples different from their own culture. In no way am I condoning mistreatment of any person, yet Traveler is absolutely right about understanding the culture, for example. Once you get to that point, you begin to realize that you can 'let go' of a lot of things which other people turn into drama and unnecessary stress and strife.
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mishmumkin
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 7:25 pm