school censorship
It has come to my attention that a colleague of mine teaching at an independent school was ordered to rip all pages depicting references to any other religions, other than islam, out of UK textbooks. I understand that this directive was given by the school's management company, after a parent of one of the students at the girl's school, complained to the management company, that she did not want her child to learn about pigs.
As much as agree that it is the right of the parent to complain, I believe that this action should be condemned by all members of the qatar community.
It raises many questions about the school, it's ethos, the managment company, and that fact that it is an educational institution, and should be educating rather than indoctrinating!
I am not new to the middle east, and have dealt with many parents who have raised such issues. However I believe that the manner in which this incident has been handled should be reviewed by the education authorities, and it is time that communities realise the value of rounded education.
As a muslim, it is one's right to recieve a quality education, and more importantly, one's duty to seek knowledge.
How can this particular school call itself an institute of learning, when it sacrifices it's ethos, and the primary reason for it's existance?
Are people here so narrow-minded that they are not able to teach their children the value of 'Understanding' and more importantly 'Tolerance'. Are these not the fundamental principles of every religion?
Shame on the the school and its management company for not having the conviction to stand up for it's ethos.
It does not have the right to claim that it is a British National Curriculum school, when it haphazardly deletes the curriculum it endeavoured to present, purely to satisfy the whims of a few disgruntled parents...
Maybe the Director of the Managment Company, and the Principals who ordered the desecration of the textbooks, should review the Primary reasons as to why they entered the Teaching arena.
Maybe the idea that schools are just businesses, is true in this situation?
Why is that poor old Porkie beeing picked upon. As if the Swine Flu was not enough!
I did a lesson plan to teach interpreting songs in a class with qatari students, used the guise of doing it under poetry, I chose modern songs (careful with the subject) which most students knew the artists and they really enjoyed it.
smile lots laugh more
I heard about censorship of Media, etc....but school books, uuuhhhmmm....
Do you guys think will that practise have any impact, in todays Modern World of Hi-Tech and Internet Education....The curious minds of this generation, will explore, search and find the solution at their own.....
Let them identify their OWN LIFE themselves.....what is the real purpose of LIFE, Why they born and who is their creator? and Where is their ultimate destination?
In the UK one is refrained from teaching hate. If you you are member of a far right extereme part you will be sacked or suspended.
So the question here really is that those so called schools who are using the logo of being England Britsih Curriculum are not really providing you what they are promoting.
Again there are guidelines set by the Supereme Council of Educations of the do's and don't.
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HE WHO DARES WINS
Oryx,
I do believe that mentalities, within the same culture, do go through an evolution process.
No offense but the "local/regional mentality", appears to have many similarities to the mentality in Europe in past centuries, perhaps the Victorian era!
Hi Oryx - what nationalities do you teach, and which curriculum?
I have even had complaints about teaching the words
'sing' and 'dance' as vocab items in a class because
they are 'haram' (no pictures just the word)
I had two muttawahs in one class....but i worked around it.....
we all know what they watch on telly etc
but if you let something 'slip thru the net'....
then if someone is pissed off at you they will use that as a stick to beat you with to complain
you asked them to turn off the mobile...they will say that you have taught something haram and there is a whole big hoooooo haaaaaaaaa
its ridiculous what I censor......remind me to tell you a couple of stories when I see you
Oh no you mentioned the 'E' word
LOL ;)
Interesting, We managed to buy DVD and toys of Peppa Pig at Virgin Mega stores.
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HE WHO DARES WINS
We all modify materials so as not to offend....
i wanted to explain who john lennon was and looked at the lyrics of imagine and thought no wayyyyyyyyy
the list of 'modifications' is endless
its not about the school but directives from the Supreme Education Council
And guess what - i know its bad all these 'modifications' i do but i can really do without the hassle of complaints...
its a shame because people sabotage their own learning
http://yadiin.blogspot.com/"Are people here so narrow-minded that they are not able to teach their children the value of 'Understanding' and more importantly 'Tolerance'. Are these not the fundamental principles of every religion?"
the problem is that the narrow minded can dictate here ..though I do not believe that all of them are like that!
my child goes to a school which is originally mixed boys and girls together
but came powerful local who wanted his daughter attend that very school but did not like coeducation - so the school separated boys and girls in that only grade for the sake of the rich local girl
that is how things work around here
Soon Africa will loose its name ''Dark Continent" . Good luck Qatar
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- Listen to Many...Speak to a Few -
Unfortunately, I have never witnessed so many of those outrage behaviors since I moved to Qatar (my first country in the region). One of the things I learned from living here was too realize how narrow minded human kind can still be in the 21st century. I had no clue how religion could still stimulate so nasty and castrating behaviors. I am not saying with this that Qatar is the only place these things happen, it was just the place I have encountered them for the first time, even if I did live in several other countries in Europe, North America and South East Asia.
I still believe that this behavior is a matter of evolution, as many other religions and cultures have gone through similar restrictions a few centuries ago!