Job Discussion Forums

[Imdramayu]

What's all this uproar over Dorje Gurung and Qatar Academy? I'm looking for international schools in Doha to work in. Is this a good school to work at? From what I heard, the QA management showed no backbone and caved-in to the parents of some of these boys in his class.

So, does management support teachers or do they bend-over-backwards for parents? Do they treat teachers fairly?

Im

[Behemot]

I am surprised there is not more discussion here.

I can�t really comment as I am not privy to the situation nor am I currently teaching in Qatar. Nevertheless, such situations certainly play into my decision making when considering future job opportunities.

I have received emails from International School Review asking for support and I am curious as to how this will all play out.

Hopefully someone will come along with more information.

[millie18]

According to dohanews.co Dorje Gurung has been released but no word on whether this is to allow him to leave the country or the status of the charges against him.

[Imdramayu]

According to this supporters, he's on this flight home to Nepal:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=qr354+schedule

Still, what does this mean for QA recruitment & teaching staff?
Are the disruptive students still there (i.e., the 3 12-year-old boys), have they been "put in their place", or have they been removed altogether?

I'd love to hear from an eyewitness (even anonymous) as to what exactly did happen and how others reacted in the cafeteria.

Im

[Geronimo]

Dorje Gurung - on a tumblr blog - has thanked all his supporters,

"I still can find no words to thank you enough, words that sufficiently express my own and family�s gratitude, for the gift the thousands of you have given me. The gift of freedom! (Ask any of my friends and colleagues Qatar Academy who received me upon my release yesterday afternoon�I was just a wreck. All I could do was cry and bawl.)
Many who know me well know firstly that I don�t make promises easily, certainly not publicly, and secondly that any promise I make i don�t make lightly. As today is an exceptional day and in appreciation of your incredible thoughts and actions, I�m going make a promise to you all, to my amazing friends, teachers, colleagues, students and well wishers around the world and to myself.
A promise to make every effort to make this gift of freedom worth the time and effort you invested in winning it for me."

http://nepaliblogger.com/news/nepali-teacher-dorje-gurung-qatar-jail/6344/

[jaffa]

Good for him. He's now in a far superior society. I visited Nepal last year and while they didn't even mention religion, they were certainly doing it, unlike certain countries that just blather on about religion ad infinitum but demonstrate no religious qualities whatsoever.

Nameste!

[Imdramayu]

Will we ever know the answers to these questions or do the knowers want to bury the truth?

1) Why did the police arrest him? Who was behind this move?
2) Why was he fired?
3) What has happened to the 3 boys who caused all this trouble?
4) What role did the boys' parents play in this?

[veiledsentiments]

[tmac-100]

Everyone wants to feel powerful and have status. The kids are just like MANY adults in this world we live in .

Does not mean it is right ....

[Geronimo]

A report in Qatar's "The Peninsula" includes observations
by a 'senior Qatari criminal lawyer' on the nature of the charge.

'A senior Qatari criminal lawyer, who didn�t want his name in print due to the sensitivity of the issue, said Gurung allegedly
made the remark comparing Muslims to terrorists in reaction to a situation and he didn�t mean to insult Islam.
�According to Qatar�s laws, the remark cannot be considered as an attack on Islam,� said the lawyer.
�It can only be treated as insulting an individual or a group of individuals and this wouldn�t attract articles of the blasphemy law.�
It should also be borne in mind that the teacher was addressing a group of students and that group might have had non-Muslims in it,
or the entire group could have consisted of non-Muslims,
the lawyer said. Qatar has a large population of non-Muslims.
�He was merely reacting to a group in a situation in which the students were talking to him impolitely,� said the lawyer.
�I don�t think charges could have been filed against the teacher.� '

http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/237014-teacher-in-insult-case-allowed-to-go-home.html


Geronimo

[Geronimo]

Dorje Gurung hasn't wasted any time in pursuing his mission in his homeland, Nepal.

Doha's loss could be Sindhupalchowk's gain!

You can read about Dorje's project, and watch him talking about it at:-

http://startsomegood.com/edufreeNepal

"Looking back on his childhood and the 12 days he spent in jail with 10 other Nepalese who didn�t have the same educational opportunities as he did,
he realized education--both when pursuing and providing it--had contributed to his freedom.

And it is this freedom he wants to give back to his community. As a start, he wants to help one of the many government schools he visited last summer.

The school in Sindhupalchowk (a district three hours from Kathmandu), like most government schools in Nepal,
has very poor infrastructure, lacks resources and trained teachers.
The dropout rate is alarmingly high and the exam pass rate very low.

If you believe education can change lives of the children of Sindupalchowk for better, help him do that.
Help provide high quality education to communities in the area.
Help his quest to give back to the community what he has received with the help of communities around the world - freedom.
Freedom through education. "

Geronimo

[Geronimo]

Dorje Gurung has produced a new video
which provides the latest update on his campaign...

http://startsomegood.com/edufreeNepal

Will the 'tipping point' be reached in time


Geronimo

[Geronimo]

Here's a cause for celebration!

The Project Funding reached its 'Tipping Point' today -
thanks to the generosity of over 200 backers

What does this attainment mean on the ground?

According to the website -
http://startsomegood.com/edufreeNepal -

"With the tipping point funds we will be able to make a holistic intervention in one school in Sindupalchowk, Nepal AND to help the school find a sustainable source of income to keep growing. The funds will be used in this way.

$2105 - Build a playground to provide a stimulating common space for the children

$7530 - For material and resources to update teaching methods in:
----Science - This is a critical skill and a subject close to Dorje's heart as he is a Science teacher himself.
----English Language - Because it opens up career and education opportunity for the students.

$8,500 - To build a small scale community based fishery. The money will be spent on infastructure for the fishery and training for people from the local community to run the fishery. 100% of profits from the fishery will be reinvested into the school.

$10,000 - To build one floor of a new building to replace the one that was recently condemed and torn down. This floor will have 2 classrooms that will help house existing students.

The cost for both the building and fishery only incudes skilled labor and materials not in the community. The community will contribute in-kind with all the resources available there and labor they can provide."



Let's hope that Dorje Gurung's dreams for this project all come true,
and his campaign continues to thrive!

Geronimo