I was under the impression that Park House was one of the better schools in Doha, but maybe this is just rumour or misinformed gossip.
In all fairness to my colleagues at Park House, I think that it would be true to say that most (if not all) of the schools in Qatar have a problem when it comes to recruiting and retaining teaching staff. Many young and single teachers come to Qatar, without realising how difficult it is going to be without the support of their friends, family, the boyfriend etc. For some young teachers, Qatar is their first job in an international school, so it is not surprising that some of them leave before the end of the academic year. What is the alternative? Should Park House stop giving out exit visas and refuse to allow their teachers to leave? I don't think that would be sensible.
With regard to South African teachers and their accents, I would say that I count myself lucky to have the professional support of my South African colleagues, most of whom are dedicated and experienced teachers. Yes, I do have a posh Oxford accent, but some of my hard working colleagues from the U.K. are from Scotland or Brum or wherever. It's not just South Africans who have strong accents. I have also noticed that many of the parents of my pupils have accents (Spanish, Dutch, Iraqi and Qatari), so I cannot agree with Karen. People in glass houses should not throw stones and parents should not moan about accents when they themselves often do not speak English correctly.
Karen, if you want your child's teacher to talk like Professor Henry Higgins, why are you sending your child to an international school in Qatar? Why not put your little darling onto an aeroplane and fly him or her off to a boarding school in the U.K., where (with any luck) he or she will not be exposed to any awful foreign accents? Has it occurred to you that many Qataris would say that you have a dreadful accent when you try to speak Arabic - or do you simply assume that everyone ought to be able to speak English?
I was under the impression that Park House was one of the better schools in Doha, but maybe this is just rumour or misinformed gossip.
In all fairness to my colleagues at Park House, I think that it would be true to say that most (if not all) of the schools in Qatar have a problem when it comes to recruiting and retaining teaching staff. Many young and single teachers come to Qatar, without realising how difficult it is going to be without the support of their friends, family, the boyfriend etc. For some young teachers, Qatar is their first job in an international school, so it is not surprising that some of them leave before the end of the academic year. What is the alternative? Should Park House stop giving out exit visas and refuse to allow their teachers to leave? I don't think that would be sensible.
With regard to South African teachers and their accents, I would say that I count myself lucky to have the professional support of my South African colleagues, most of whom are dedicated and experienced teachers. Yes, I do have a posh Oxford accent, but some of my hard working colleagues from the U.K. are from Scotland or Brum or wherever. It's not just South Africans who have strong accents. I have also noticed that many of the parents of my pupils have accents (Spanish, Dutch, Iraqi and Qatari), so I cannot agree with Karen. People in glass houses should not throw stones and parents should not moan about accents when they themselves often do not speak English correctly.
Karen, if you want your child's teacher to talk like Professor Henry Higgins, why are you sending your child to an international school in Qatar? Why not put your little darling onto an aeroplane and fly him or her off to a boarding school in the U.K., where (with any luck) he or she will not be exposed to any awful foreign accents? Has it occurred to you that many Qataris would say that you have a dreadful accent when you try to speak Arabic - or do you simply assume that everyone ought to be able to speak English?