June 2012
12AM
I’m translating terms for tomorrow’s workshop. My sister told me to use Google translator. I never thought there will be a day that i’ll be using a translator to translate English words into my “own language”.
Shame on me!
B R B It's dinner.: The Supreme Education Council →
brbitsdinnertime.tumblr.com
The SEC runs almost everything school related in Qatar. They’re supposed to be running series of tests on students to help bring up education systems in the country. It started around the same time I finished high school, so I didn’t really get a chance to meet the…
You cannot possibly believe that such an education is getting better. You see we’re both aware of the fact that rigor isn’t necessarily a component in their work, but there is inconsistency that you probably can never see, unless you’ve experienced it. We take our own exams in our school, and we’re basically accounted for them (except for the twelve graders who’ve suffered from external and internal assessments from the very beginning), until last year when they involved the once general and national assessments that were made for mere evaluation. It went fine somehow, because they never explain their grading methods or anything within the process: transparency at its worse. However, this year, you have a number of about 200 students, some are accomplished and some aren’t, and not one of them exceeded the 3.5 Grade Point Average. Of course that’s with the SEC (Supreme Education Council) exams included, without them, you’d have tens and tens of those within the 4.0 average even. I am supposedly, the second of my school year, and if that should give me more validation to speak, then why not. But the problem is not just with the spending, it’s with the quality of the work. WE ARE NOT LAB RATS.
Odds are, I wouldn’t get into any of my dream schools with what I have now, and within some degree, I am in complete satisfaction with the matter, but I hate the fact that this is what we’ve come to, a generation thrown to the dumpster, because then, it is possible to muster up a list of percentages, for what? I don’t know. And I don’t think they know either.
The propaganda here, is that you’re not only unready for such tests, but you’re not even told to be ready, or even prepared to be ready. Our ‘internal’ assessments create an almost completely different approach to the content of the curriculum, when compared to the ‘external’ assessments. It’s because the school is in great distance from the council. If you want development, for a country as small as this one, you need to be in shorter distances between your nose and the student’s desk.
No one’s solving any problems, they’re just putting new things on the table, and making it worse. You know, sometimes I even think they have no idea what their job is supposed to be.
I had the most logical need to shift schools last year, to an international school, where I’d be taking the International Baccalaureate, but I ended up choosing not to at the very end. I chose to have the Qatari experience, you know. I knew that I’d be getting lots out of that mouthwatering challenge of an education, but I didn’t think I was supposed to go there. I had many phases in which I became superbly satisfied, and I still am. It’s just that I admire the intensity of the difficulties I face here, even though I suffer, and cry even, but I know that there is something to fight against, and fight for. When I want to reach the end, I want to reflect on the complete package of the Qatari experience, and I am not zipping my mouth from there, I have so many strong desires to rebuild and speak against those goons put in positions.
So I have personal goals to achieve for this particular time interval, because I know I wouldn’t sleep at night with this grade at stake. For god’s sake, I got a 98% in almost three of my four report cards, and I get this low because of their pretentious assessments. Yes, that’s all they are, pretentious douchebags.
Nevertheless, I feel so much better after writing this.
Mayed, don’t say that. Don’t ever give up. These things are only supposed to make us stronger. And i won’t stand still and make them play that sick game. I promise you i won’t. Remember we are all born free and no one can take your freedom away nor take your right to have the education you work hard to obtain.
Yes, you should feel better. Plus i’m ordering you hot tshirts this very moment. <3
The Supreme Education Council
The SEC runs almost everything school related in Qatar. They’re supposed to be running series of tests on students to help bring up education systems in the country. It started around the same time I finished high school, so I didn’t really get a chance to meet the questionable breadth of its applications.
When 11 graders finish their final exams, they get 4-5 days to study for their “other” final exam, The Supreme Education Council Examination. Which doesn’t only include the current semester’s textbooks, but also the first semester. Two books. They used to have a similar system when my dad was a kid. Why is it being brought back?
The education in my country is disgusting. There’s only black or white, you’re either this or that, you’re either in an international school or an independent one. It’s either that you can afford to escape the randomness, stupidity and mediocrity of the system or you can’t.
It is unacceptable when the SEC isn’t being clear and transparent with the families of those students. When a teacher tells his students that these “other” tests are meant to be means of identifying Geniuses, it is outrages!
There needs to be a better way. They cannot simply ruin the lives of these students for the sake of unknown tests and studies. Students are humans, and they are not disposable.
12PM
Have you noticed that I no longer draw glasses? That’s because I no longer wear mine. ;(
Summer Workshop_5/10
We are half way there; 5 more days and we’ll be done. I am just glad it’s finally the weekend so I can relax a little. Babysitting Shosho from 5PM till 11PM wasn’t on my agenda, but it’s ok; I’ll try to avoid it next time. :wink:
The workshop was mostly fun today. I introduced them to mind-mapping and collaging. For the first time they actually asked for more time! Then I gave them tracing paper and took them down to the library to find some fashion magazines to try out the 9-Heads. I FAILED BIG TIME! WOW. It was like i knew nothing; I didn’t manage to show them a good way to do it. For me it’s always been practice. How am i supposed to show them how to do it in 30 minutes?..
For 5 days, I come home thinking neither university nor rota have made me feel this stressed. How do you guys do it?
I miss the old life. :)
