As you said, all schools in Qatar -- even ASD, Doha College and the like -- offer Arabic and Islamic Studies classes for students. It is already being done.
If the government wants to mandate they follow SEC curriculum for those classes, then that seems fine (as they do not affect British/American graduation requirements and are not a part of our normal curricula).
The newspaper article, however, gives the impression that the international schools are here for nefarious purposes. "Dr Ahmed Faragani thinks that the main hidden goal of expatriate schools is to destroy the language, history and religion of the nation and isolate the coming generation from their culture by constructing a barrier between them and the deeply rooted values of the nation."
Wow. Paranoid much, Dr. Faragani? LOL!
Newsflash: We build OUR schools to support OUR children so that they are prepared to re-integrate back into OUR society when we return from abroad.
If locals choose to send their children to these international/expat schools, then it is incumbent upon THEM to ensure that their children do not lose touch with THEIR values and traditions.
Where is the sense of parental responsibility in all this? Just as I live here in Qatar, it is my job as a mother to make sure that my child understands that even though we live here, we come from another country with very different values and customs.
I certainly hope he will have an appreciation for the many cultures/languages/religions he encounters while living here, but in the end, it's MY job as a parent to give my child a solid grounding in his own.
As you said, all schools in Qatar -- even ASD, Doha College and the like -- offer Arabic and Islamic Studies classes for students. It is already being done.
If the government wants to mandate they follow SEC curriculum for those classes, then that seems fine (as they do not affect British/American graduation requirements and are not a part of our normal curricula).
The newspaper article, however, gives the impression that the international schools are here for nefarious purposes. "Dr Ahmed Faragani thinks that the main hidden goal of expatriate schools is to destroy the language, history and religion of the nation and isolate the coming generation from their culture by constructing a barrier between them and the deeply rooted values of the nation."
Wow. Paranoid much, Dr. Faragani? LOL!
Newsflash: We build OUR schools to support OUR children so that they are prepared to re-integrate back into OUR society when we return from abroad.
If locals choose to send their children to these international/expat schools, then it is incumbent upon THEM to ensure that their children do not lose touch with THEIR values and traditions.
Where is the sense of parental responsibility in all this? Just as I live here in Qatar, it is my job as a mother to make sure that my child understands that even though we live here, we come from another country with very different values and customs.
I certainly hope he will have an appreciation for the many cultures/languages/religions he encounters while living here, but in the end, it's MY job as a parent to give my child a solid grounding in his own.