This week, my conversation partner was P. Vogt, a former English teacher and Deputy Campus manager at a renowned university in Saudi Arabia. She worked with students participating in numerous preparatory programs, and has noted a tangible difference between students coming from well off families and children who are less advantaged. She shared with me a common trend that often surfaced during her work in the preparatory programs, which was the notable disparity in student performance . She explained that there is a serious inequity present within public and private schools in Saudi Arabia, and the reason for her inference was mainly students' academic achievement. She disclosed that students graduating from public schools were usually placed in lower levels than their peers from private schools, and teachers were asked to "lower the expectations for these students" ( P. Vogt, personal communication, February, 2013). In order to enhance the quality of education provided for the less advantaged , Vogt saw an urgent need to invest in post graduate teacher programs and implement policies that set quality standards for staff serving at public schools. Additionally, she tackled the issue of teacher compensation and curriculum enhancement- Two key elements that play a vital role in improving the level of education ( P. Vogt, personal communication, February, 2013).This will decrease the learning gaps and provide children in public schools with better opportunities to rise to the standards ( P. Vogt, personal communication, February, 2013). I would like to add that the best place to start implementing these policies is at the preschool level, as it is the very foundation that paves the way for future learning.
Did she explained the reason why public schools scores were lower? Is it because of the students' backgrounds or is because teachers are less paid, less motivated and qualified thus not teaching as well as the teachers in private schools?
ReplyDeleteI know that in the International School scenes, schools which have good packages for teachers have the luxury to choose the best ones. Smaller schools with less money can not be difficult and hire whoever wants to work at their school.
Julie, most teachers working in public schools have more benefits and higher salaries than those who serve in private or international schools in Riyadh. And while you are right in your analysis with regard to teacher qualifications and training, the reason for the discrepancy in student achievement is primarily the curriculum. Public schools follow an archaic curriculum that needs to be restructured as to encompass developmentally appropriate programs as well as a stronger focus on language acquisition, which is a major obstacle for students who want to pursue higher education.
ReplyDeleteHi Reem, thanks for your post.
ReplyDeleteI was shocked to read that teachers are asked to lower their expectations for students from public schools. Who is asking teachers to lower their expectations? IS this the same for all parts of Saudi Arabia or only the area where P. Vogt works in??
Dorcas, Vogt used to work in the preparatory program, which serves to help students develop their language skills during the first years of college in order to move forward in the major they pursue. Teachers sometimes need to lower their standards, because they need not discourage the students or frustrated them, while they try to bridge the existing gap.
DeleteReem- It made me angry to hear that teachers needed to "lower their expectations" for the public students. What kind of ignorant administrators would allow this kind of behavior? Most humans will step it up to the plate when given the confidence that they can and will succeed. It sounds to me like the public school system is setting these children up to "Fail" from the very beginning. Have they ever thought about the positive results that would follow if they "raised their expectations for all students". Surprisingly most would not only step it up, but many would surpass those expectations.
ReplyDeleteDonna
Donna, you are right to believe that teachers must raise their expectations in schools. However, this is a college program that has to deal with a lot of inequities that occurred years before. It usually focuses on students who need support, especially in the language area, before they move forward in their journey. I think it is a valuable program that is helping many students get a better opportunity at successful learning.
DeleteReem,
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the discrepancy between public and private schools mimics the Saudi Arabian culture. I am not too familiar with the culture, but I know there is social stratification, and perhaps those determining curriculum favor this. I agree with you in your comment that the preschool level is where good policies need to be implemented to improve educational overall; however, it seems that early childhood education is not very present in Saudi Arabia, or at least, not very popular. It isn't a prerequisite for school and only 11% of children ages 3-5 attend a preschool program (UNESCO, 2011).
Thanks so much for sharing Vogt's insights, it prompted me to do research on Saudi Arabia :)
Lydia
Reference: http://www.ibe.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/WDE/2010/pdf-versions/Saudi_Arabia.pdf
Lydia, I was not familiar with these figures, but I know for a fact that this is dramatically changing now. Parents and stakeholders are becoming more aware of the need for preschool programs. In fact, there are currently extensive endeavors put forth to create a comprehensive preschool curriculum, which I greatly look forward to. Thank you for your info.
DeleteAfter reading your post I was kind of shocked by the statement that your conversation partner said about teachers being asked to lower there expectations for students. I feel as professional childhood education children no one should ever be asked to lower their expectations just because certain standards were not met. I understand that private schools normally have higher scores than public schools because of the high education quality system they have. This happens all over with public and private schools and I feel that if public schools had more funding they would be able to provide whats need for better teaching and an education for the students.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that the right place to start is in preschool. This is where we expect children to begin building their solid learning foundation, and they cannot do this if we do not provide them with safe environments, challenging activities, and opportunities to explore. "Lowering our expectations" is not an answer, and it is sad that that is what was chosen as a response.
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