Of course parents can do a lot to help and encourage their children in many different aspects of their children's education. no teacher would dispute that.
Wow, I didn't realise you had to be a trained teacher to help your own kids!..If my son hasn't understood or struggled at school as parents me and my hubby are always there to help,that's all I'm getting at..Some parents haven't got the time, your words..Sad that! :(
We've been paying school fee's for years, so yes, you expect a high standard from the school who wouldn't?..But what would I know, I'm just a nice white English-speaking parent! :)
Wow...Didn't realise you had to be a trained teacher to help your kids!..I'm not and neither is my hubby,if our son has struggled or not understood something we have always been there to help!..That's all i'm getting at..Paying an interest in your child education..Yeah i pay school fee's have done for years,so yeah i expect my son to get what i pay for, and it's a lot!..Some parents don't spend the time with their kids as you stated..Sad that! :)
But what would i know i have a nice white English-speaking son who has nice white-English speaking parents! :)
I dislike having to disagree with a fellow hippopotamus, but I do not think that Pink hippo17's comments are very sensible. Many expat parents in Doha are not trained teachers. They are engineers, doctors or whatever, but they are not teachers. That is why they pay lots of school fees and send their children to school, in order for the children to be educated by trained teachers who are supposed to know what they are doing. Yes, of course very young children learn a lot from their parents, but a lot of parents simply do not have the time, the training, the experience or the resources to teach their children at home.
As for SEN children (those who have Special Educational Needs), I think that it would be true to say that there is a lot of pressure on many schools in Doha to focus on the more able students and to ignore the needs of children who are struggling. This is particularly the case in fee-paying schools. Schools that want to boast about their "high academic standards" do not want to give school places to children who might not be able to live up to these high expectations. SEN children usually need additional individual help and (surprise, surprise) that usually costs money.
For many children in "British" school, primary education is, first and foremost, all about language development. Even a Maths or a Science lesson is really all about the English language, as English will be the medium of instruction and a good grasp of the English language, both spoken and written, will be needed by the students if they are going to participate in the lesson and produce written work based on what they have learned. Therefore there is a lot of pressure on schools like Park House to reject non-British children and to offer school places to nice, white English-speaking children who have nice, white English-speaking parents.
its quite good at least they cares!! other schools neglect those kids who are not reading well...may be also they never menssion that those kids are not in normal IQ standard...but, at this case, I think they should collect them in one class for regular education...otherwise dont take them from the beginning!!
Shouldn't parents take responsibility for their children's education? call me stupid but if your child is lagging behind in reading writing or what ever shouldn't you as a parent take time out and do it with them at home?. Instead of blaming the schools/teachers for this.Education starts at home! :)
some comments were positive & some were negative..this was in 2010...now we are in 2012 ... ccould anyone update his point of view....or share his kids experience as a parent?? because I'm about to put my TWO kids there.. thanks :)
Some of the comments that have been made on this thread are more than a little misleading. For example, are we comparing Parkhouse (or any other school in Doha) with fee-paying, independent schools in the UK or are we trying to compare them with state schools in Britain? As Parkhouse is a fee-paying school, I would have thought that the former would be a fairer point of comparison.
One person has written that the standards at Parkhouse are "extremely high". Well, if there is an acute shortage of school places, then it stands to reason that some of the more popular schools can be very selective about who they allow in through the gates.
I have not heard much about Parkhouse's Special Educational Needs policies and I suspect that they would not want to admit SEN children because that might affect their "extremely high standards". That also might explain Parkhouse's preference for nice, white English children.
Craftyqueen has mentioned the SEC, the Supreme Council of Education. This is a body set up by the Qatari government and it is most probably run by a bunch of idiots. Therefore it stands to reason that anything endorsed or recommended by the SEC must be pretty awful. If the SEC were really so smart and so super efficient, then there would not be any private, fee-paying schools in Doha at all because every single parent would want their little darling to go to a wonderful Qatari school. In reality the Qatari schools are very bad and more foreign, fee-paying schools open every year and most parents (both Qatari and expat) seem to want their children to go to "international schools". And have you ever heard of such a thing as a Qatari teacher? No, I thought not.
I am surprised you are willing to say negative comments about the school your children attend on QL. Maybe you should change schools for your kids and give those parents who would remove their right arm to put their kids into Park House their place.
In the UK all primary schools ask parents to come into the lower primary classes to hear the children read. I can't understand what could be better than one-to-one reading. If you want to suggest a reading group after school which parents fund I am sure the school would be interested in your suggestion. In the Uk books were changed once a week - here in Park House its three times a week, their books are set based on their individual ability into small groups if possible. The teacher hears the pupil read at least once a week. Parents are asked to participate in their child's learning by listening to their child read at home. Schooling is not a vacuum - a child can learn at anytime anywhere.
As for fairness - the World is not fair and no school can be fair 100% to everyone because not everyone agrees on what is fair - its personal opinion. If a child is brought up thinking the world is fair they will get many shocks when it comes to finding a job!
Craftyqueen, let me tell you that all the children who are not as good in reading as the rest of their colleagues are taken away from their normal classes, given to a volunteer parent (who is given a bunch of flashcards with no further instructions) who is supposed to help them develop reading skills. Not only is that wrong, but on top of it they miss what is happening in their class. And don't try and tell me it's not true - I was a volunteer parent last schoolyear for Year 1. Is this the way to save on spending more time with the children who need more reading practice? Why not do like the French School - extra hours of tuition after school?
Last swimming competition the kids were so excited to show what they could do - instead the swimming teacher used her own son to get a better place for Park House. The amount of dissapointed faces of children was heartbreaking! Waiting hours for nothing?
Things are far less positive then what you make them seem!
As a user of the Qatari and British education systems for my children let me tell you that if you have a good teacher, your child and you are lucky! Usually here about 1 in 5 teachers have that power to inspire YOUR child! Be glad when you get one, no matter what school they are paid by! Education is about inspiring children to progress, not about checking off what they have studied!
Not sure how qualified you are to comment on the status of the teachers at Park House school. ALL their teacher comply with SEC conditions on qualifications of their teachers, otherwise they would not be able to operate!
I can confirm the vast majority of teachers at the school are British, 2nd is South African (excellent standard of educated teachers) and other nationalities. The school is as british as it gets in a non-british country.
The standards are extremely high. There is very positive school/parent contact and all pupils are expected to work hard, are well disciplined, and result focused.
I am british and my children attend Park House. I would have no problem with them returning to the UK (not likely with the current working conditions in the UK!) and slipping into very good schools and coping with the change. If you are typical middle class parents who discipline your children and make sure they stay on top of their studies you will reap the benefit of this school which has high standards of their pupils.
By all means try other schools, they may suit you but don't take advice from people who have clearly no grounds for their advice. All exams taken at Park House are recognised as international standard IGCSE and International A levels. Really don't know where joe90 is getting their 'facts' from.
A number of my tuition students are from Parkhouse. There seems to be little support for those who lag behind in a particular subject.
Also the number of UK qualified teachers with QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) is limited. You may wish to ask how many of the teachers actually have QTS compared to those that don't. Many of the teachers are not from the UK and do so not have a background of teaching a British Curriculum.
Finally, Parkhouse only follows part of the National Curriculum of England and Wales. The rest of the curriculum is based around what is referred to as the International Curriculum, which is created by a private company in the UK and is not endorsed by the government.
This topic has been discussed a number of times previously so you may wish to do a search to get a better idea of the school.
You may also wish to try other UK curriculum schools such as Doha College, DESS, Sherborne and the International School of London.
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Of course parents can do a lot to help and encourage their children in many different aspects of their children's education. no teacher would dispute that.
Wow, I didn't realise you had to be a trained teacher to help your own kids!..If my son hasn't understood or struggled at school as parents me and my hubby are always there to help,that's all I'm getting at..Some parents haven't got the time, your words..Sad that! :(
We've been paying school fee's for years, so yes, you expect a high standard from the school who wouldn't?..But what would I know, I'm just a nice white English-speaking parent! :)
Wow...Didn't realise you had to be a trained teacher to help your kids!..I'm not and neither is my hubby,if our son has struggled or not understood something we have always been there to help!..That's all i'm getting at..Paying an interest in your child education..Yeah i pay school fee's have done for years,so yeah i expect my son to get what i pay for, and it's a lot!..Some parents don't spend the time with their kids as you stated..Sad that! :)
But what would i know i have a nice white English-speaking son who has nice white-English speaking parents! :)
I dislike having to disagree with a fellow hippopotamus, but I do not think that Pink hippo17's comments are very sensible. Many expat parents in Doha are not trained teachers. They are engineers, doctors or whatever, but they are not teachers. That is why they pay lots of school fees and send their children to school, in order for the children to be educated by trained teachers who are supposed to know what they are doing. Yes, of course very young children learn a lot from their parents, but a lot of parents simply do not have the time, the training, the experience or the resources to teach their children at home.
As for SEN children (those who have Special Educational Needs), I think that it would be true to say that there is a lot of pressure on many schools in Doha to focus on the more able students and to ignore the needs of children who are struggling. This is particularly the case in fee-paying schools. Schools that want to boast about their "high academic standards" do not want to give school places to children who might not be able to live up to these high expectations. SEN children usually need additional individual help and (surprise, surprise) that usually costs money.
For many children in "British" school, primary education is, first and foremost, all about language development. Even a Maths or a Science lesson is really all about the English language, as English will be the medium of instruction and a good grasp of the English language, both spoken and written, will be needed by the students if they are going to participate in the lesson and produce written work based on what they have learned. Therefore there is a lot of pressure on schools like Park House to reject non-British children and to offer school places to nice, white English-speaking children who have nice, white English-speaking parents.
DP
its quite good at least they cares!! other schools neglect those kids who are not reading well...may be also they never menssion that those kids are not in normal IQ standard...but, at this case, I think they should collect them in one class for regular education...otherwise dont take them from the beginning!!
Shouldn't parents take responsibility for their children's education? call me stupid but if your child is lagging behind in reading writing or what ever shouldn't you as a parent take time out and do it with them at home?. Instead of blaming the schools/teachers for this.Education starts at home! :)
Dear All,
some comments were positive & some were negative..this was in 2010...now we are in 2012 ... ccould anyone update his point of view....or share his kids experience as a parent?? because I'm about to put my TWO kids there.. thanks :)
Some of the comments that have been made on this thread are more than a little misleading. For example, are we comparing Parkhouse (or any other school in Doha) with fee-paying, independent schools in the UK or are we trying to compare them with state schools in Britain? As Parkhouse is a fee-paying school, I would have thought that the former would be a fairer point of comparison.
One person has written that the standards at Parkhouse are "extremely high". Well, if there is an acute shortage of school places, then it stands to reason that some of the more popular schools can be very selective about who they allow in through the gates.
I have not heard much about Parkhouse's Special Educational Needs policies and I suspect that they would not want to admit SEN children because that might affect their "extremely high standards". That also might explain Parkhouse's preference for nice, white English children.
Craftyqueen has mentioned the SEC, the Supreme Council of Education. This is a body set up by the Qatari government and it is most probably run by a bunch of idiots. Therefore it stands to reason that anything endorsed or recommended by the SEC must be pretty awful. If the SEC were really so smart and so super efficient, then there would not be any private, fee-paying schools in Doha at all because every single parent would want their little darling to go to a wonderful Qatari school. In reality the Qatari schools are very bad and more foreign, fee-paying schools open every year and most parents (both Qatari and expat) seem to want their children to go to "international schools". And have you ever heard of such a thing as a Qatari teacher? No, I thought not.
Alumnar
I am surprised you are willing to say negative comments about the school your children attend on QL. Maybe you should change schools for your kids and give those parents who would remove their right arm to put their kids into Park House their place.
In the UK all primary schools ask parents to come into the lower primary classes to hear the children read. I can't understand what could be better than one-to-one reading. If you want to suggest a reading group after school which parents fund I am sure the school would be interested in your suggestion. In the Uk books were changed once a week - here in Park House its three times a week, their books are set based on their individual ability into small groups if possible. The teacher hears the pupil read at least once a week. Parents are asked to participate in their child's learning by listening to their child read at home. Schooling is not a vacuum - a child can learn at anytime anywhere.
As for fairness - the World is not fair and no school can be fair 100% to everyone because not everyone agrees on what is fair - its personal opinion. If a child is brought up thinking the world is fair they will get many shocks when it comes to finding a job!
Craftyqueen, let me tell you that all the children who are not as good in reading as the rest of their colleagues are taken away from their normal classes, given to a volunteer parent (who is given a bunch of flashcards with no further instructions) who is supposed to help them develop reading skills. Not only is that wrong, but on top of it they miss what is happening in their class. And don't try and tell me it's not true - I was a volunteer parent last schoolyear for Year 1. Is this the way to save on spending more time with the children who need more reading practice? Why not do like the French School - extra hours of tuition after school?
Last swimming competition the kids were so excited to show what they could do - instead the swimming teacher used her own son to get a better place for Park House. The amount of dissapointed faces of children was heartbreaking! Waiting hours for nothing?
Things are far less positive then what you make them seem!
As a user of the Qatari and British education systems for my children let me tell you that if you have a good teacher, your child and you are lucky! Usually here about 1 in 5 teachers have that power to inspire YOUR child! Be glad when you get one, no matter what school they are paid by! Education is about inspiring children to progress, not about checking off what they have studied!
Joe90
Not sure how qualified you are to comment on the status of the teachers at Park House school. ALL their teacher comply with SEC conditions on qualifications of their teachers, otherwise they would not be able to operate!
I can confirm the vast majority of teachers at the school are British, 2nd is South African (excellent standard of educated teachers) and other nationalities. The school is as british as it gets in a non-british country.
The standards are extremely high. There is very positive school/parent contact and all pupils are expected to work hard, are well disciplined, and result focused.
I am british and my children attend Park House. I would have no problem with them returning to the UK (not likely with the current working conditions in the UK!) and slipping into very good schools and coping with the change. If you are typical middle class parents who discipline your children and make sure they stay on top of their studies you will reap the benefit of this school which has high standards of their pupils.
By all means try other schools, they may suit you but don't take advice from people who have clearly no grounds for their advice. All exams taken at Park House are recognised as international standard IGCSE and International A levels. Really don't know where joe90 is getting their 'facts' from.
Happy to discuss further on PM
A number of my tuition students are from Parkhouse. There seems to be little support for those who lag behind in a particular subject.
Also the number of UK qualified teachers with QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) is limited. You may wish to ask how many of the teachers actually have QTS compared to those that don't. Many of the teachers are not from the UK and do so not have a background of teaching a British Curriculum.
Finally, Parkhouse only follows part of the National Curriculum of England and Wales. The rest of the curriculum is based around what is referred to as the International Curriculum, which is created by a private company in the UK and is not endorsed by the government.
This topic has been discussed a number of times previously so you may wish to do a search to get a better idea of the school.
You may also wish to try other UK curriculum schools such as Doha College, DESS, Sherborne and the International School of London.
Good luck.
Block that [Mod removed]yuono! Or you make yourself a laughing clown, mods.
Now that is funny. The user's name is sh*tyuono and she can post wildly on QL. When I mention her name it is removed by the mods? Wake up guys!!!
shityouno, your name says what you are: shityuono!