Al Maha Academy... a Cuckoos Nest!
It always surprises me as to how business aspirations always creep in and ruin the fundamental principles of educational institutions. Maybe it's a Qatari thing? Maybe it’s just an Arab mentality that will never progress out of its Bedouin phase?
Over here, Schools are businesses, that I understand… but then why try to hide the fact that here, education is not valued, rather that bottom line figures take precedence over all else.
As with many other schools that I have come across in the Middle East, resources and finance is not normally a big issue. There’s always some benefactor sitting back with pockets so deep, that he won’t ever feel the pinch and twangs of mismanagement. And that sadly is the case in AMA. Going back in the QL threads and reading about the Al-Maha legacy, it pains me to see that an institution that has now migrated into one of the prettiest corporate buildings in Qatar(designed by non-educationalists no doubt) still does not make tangible progress in terms of the product that it produces, viz… it’s learners. Most of the teachers that are there are more than qualified in their fields, however the management of the institution certainly need to figure out who is in charge, and where they are heading?
Blame it on whoever you wish! We always hearing one party ridiculing the other, making excuses like… it’s because of the ‘de-motivated’ teachers… or rather, the ill-disciplined students… or nope, the incompetent school management… don’t forget the ‘apathetic’ parents, whose only cares and input really centers around… ‘why you not give my child an ‘A’?
The fact is, we have a huge problem in Qatar, and that is, that a good ‘education’ has the same value as a ‘Happy Meal’. You pay for the food, and all the child really wants is the TOY!
It would be wonderful to see a school in Qatar, finally get to a point where they value a good education, but sadly that is still generations away...
For now however, AMA, will only be a pretty building!
Dear rumplepuff
Many thanks for such an informative post. It will be really useful to know more examples of situations expats have gotten into trouble for.I have recently signed a contract to start work in September and I really need this job so don't want to get into trouble the moment I arrive.
rumplepuff, I am really surprised that a teacher like you (I am assuming you are a teacher because you seem to be talking from inside Al Maha) makes a statement like, " Maybe it's a Qatari thing? Maybe it’s just an Arab mentality that will never progress out of its Bedouin phase?"
Education is about opening people's minds not about closing them with judgements.
All you are saying about the bad teaching and learning at Al Maha might be true but that does not make it true that all schools owned by Arabs are like that.
Please get out of your cultural box. You are in a competely foreign culture and you should use this to open your mind more, not close it with packeged culturally biased jugdements.
Good luck to you.
it's about finding practical solutions or at least start thinking about them ... I don't know what are those solutions ...
try to set up your own school with your ideals.
My short experience trying to get my kids into a decent school is that they're all (without exceptions) the same in terms of caring more about the bottom line than delivering good education. It seems everyone is guilty here in the current situation owners, management, teachers, parents, etc. but where to start ....?
Blaming X or Y and then stopping there will not do anything to solve the problem ...
Need to think deeper here.
yep, s_sale, mostly non-qataris.
who are the management? Generally non-qataris. could be anyone from any part of the world.
In most of the schools the sponsors dont interfere at all.
@Ramil26...what country are we in mate, you bring anything to the attention on management over here that is negative and your on the next plane home....its starts from the top....if management and owners can't install an environenment where teachers can bring constructive ideas and criticism to the table, then you get what you have now.
if teachers have issues, whatever they may be should be able to bring them to the management's attention, and the manager to forawrd the problem to the " sitting back, deep pocketed benefactor who won’t ever feel the pinch and twangs of mismanagement".
If the staff themselves, from the teachers to the management can not communicate well between themselves in bridging the gap and unite, they have no business teaching and managing other peoples' education.
what i am pointing out is that some paid people are not doing their job. teachers or managers.
@ramil26, well they are not paying the teachers high salaries mate, maybe the dumb ass managers in place!
That we heard for a long time, but i doubt if the qatari sponsors are the one to blame, arent they paying high salaries to people they hire from outside to do their job?, then are those people doing now ?
this is a common feature if the schools are purely seen as money minting machines and there is not much competition.
Nice article, not just Al Maha in this category, loads of other schools in this boat. The management of the schools here are boardering on incompetant, no wonder the poor teachers are so frustrated and unable to do their jobs 100%
Thanks alottt for bringing this issue forward, I had lotttt to say on this worst education system but didnot find a proper platform to share my experiences. Its the system they have to change, they should formulate proper guidelines for their staff, design a proper syllabus and also they hav to b sincere with their work.
From your words I got the impression that you must be a pissed-off AMA teacher or ex-teacher
Private schools in Europe and the USA are also run as businesses but the reason they have to focus on results is because they are not guaranteed a long waiting list of students. If they don't offer a good education, parents will take their children elsewhere.
The problem in Qatar is that school places are limited so a long waiting list is always guaranteed for each school. Many of the schools in Qatar have the attitude of 'why try and change things if the money is going to pour in anyway'.
As you mentioned, parents are guilty as well. Because their company pays school fees they don't seem too concerned about gaining value for money. It could be argued that in other parts of the world parents may show more concern because they pay from their pockets.