Job Discussion Forums

[ckhl]

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100223/NATIONAL/702229804/1010

Before the naysayers come out in force, think about your reasons, namely vested interests, for being such.

[ckhl]

Taking cues from developed nations, including South Korea, France, Finland and Singapore, the strategy suggests career counselling be introduced into schools.


Yeah right. Talk about talking out of both sides of their mouths. So long as they send inconsisitent messages to their citzens, don't expect much to change. On the one hand they talk of self reliance, intitiative and other blather. Then on the other they coddle them and give them no reason to doubt that ultimately they'll get some cushy public sector job.

[Neil McBeath]

Ok, CKHL, here are some reasons from a nay-sayer.

Firstly, this is an entirely feasible plan if the UAE Government is prepared to ride a wave of public anger.

There is no reson at all while some subjects can not be taught entirely in Arabic. Scotland has ONE Gaelic Medium Technical College, but it does very well and provides a useful service for the area where it is located.

BUT as soon as the general public begins to feel that there is a two tier system - English lessons and foreign universities for the sheiks - Arabic and local colleges for the rest, watch out. This is the rock on which East African governments have foundered.

Secondly, things have ow gone too far. The UAE is used to the current system, and many people distrust what goes on in the public schools. They also believe that many of the private schools are corrupt - and they have reason for this.

Tertiary education, by contrast, is generally regarded as a "clean" area. Ok there that some abuses, but the Universities provide a service and the students KNOW that they benefit from the foundation programmes.

Thirdly, English is becoming more, not less, important. Saudi parents have not been satisfied with the compromise that their kids start English in Class 4. The parents want English from Class 1, and they aren't at all convinced by the Islamic counter arguments that are advanced. The parents. again, may be wrong. There is little need for a primary school child in KSA to speak English, but the parents compare KSA unfavourably with the situation in the rest of the AGCC countries, and they draw their own conclusions.

The Abu Dhabi authorities are clearly trying to save money here. And yes, the standards in the schools are dreadful. Something ought to be done to raise them. But the suggestion that you can group counsel vast numbers of students in this way is an illusion.

Singapore and Finland are anomolous situations. Does anybody really believe that the FRENCH (of all people) and the South Koreans can chatter fluently in languages other than their own?

Yeah, right.

[ckhl]

UAE is used to the current system, and many people distrust what goes on in the public schools. They also believe that many of the private schools are corrupt - and they have reason for this.

Thirdly, English is becoming more, not less, important.

The Abu Dhabi authorities are clearly trying to save money here. And yes, the standards in the schools are dreadful. Something ought to be done to raise them. But the suggestion that you can group counsel vast numbers of students in this way is an illusion.



All true.

[umzakaria]

Hi there,
world wide, as English becomes the lingua franca, native speaker 'ownership' will disappear, some say within the next 15-20 years. The UAE game plan must be to 'Emiratise' education, training their own citizens to teach English;isn't that what the PPP is all about? (OK so I know some of the state school teachers are non Emirati arabs).Since 1996 Oman has been training their Omani students and teachers, many have taken MA's in TESOL and linguistics at UK universities and are now training and supporting other Omani teachers. I hope the days of plenty for the English (particularly native speaking) teacher are not over yet as I'm just starting my dissertation for my MA in TESOL and linguistics....!

[Neil McBeath]

Umkazaria,

You are absolutely right, but you are not comparing like with like.

Dr. Auhood al Baluchi at SQU did some fascinating research on this topic and found that large numbers of young Omani women go into education because (a) it is regarded as a thoroughly respectable and entirely appropriate job BY THEIR FAMILIES, and (b) a working woman has a far larger choice of marriage partner.

In the UAE, women really haven't got to the stage where they are positively encouraged to work like this - nor, some might say, have the men.

In Oman, primary and secondary education has been Omanised. The results aren't always wonderful, but again, the squawking about poor standards of education ring out every year in the UK and the USA.
Certainly, in Oman, the lack of education until 1970 has given it a positive boost in the current generation. We are now seeing second generation literates, and the importance of geeting some education and receiving (VERY important point) a CERTIFICATE, is recognised.

[BrownSauce]

I can't really see this happening, and the whole idea looks more like wishful thinking writ down. Where would the country find teachers of the calibre to teach (and/or who WANT to teach) pseudo-EAP stuff in a secondary school? How would they squeeze several hundred hours of IELTS/EAP teaching into the already crowded school curriculum? How would they motivate the typically lazy Emirati students to take the whole thing seriously?

As for comparisons with Finland and France, etc - don't make me laugh! How can they compare our dozy Emirati students with ones from those well-developed and hard-working nations? If the UAE government stopped guaranteeing its 'bright' citizens easy jobs and large pay-packets, they might get some semblance of the motivation that European students display - but that's just wishful thinking on my part, I guess.

No, don't worry chaps - situation normal! Go back to your desks and stop worrying - everything will carry on as per normal, really!

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

"How would they motivate the typically lazy Emirati students to take the whole thing seriously?"

C'mon! They're not "lazy"...they're jes' takin' their time!

NCTBA

[johnslat]

Dear NCTBA,

Welcome back!

" . . . .they're jes' takin' their time!"

Some might think that the main verb "takin'" in the above sentence should be replaced by another. I'll give you a hint: w_stin'.

Regards,
John

[ckhl]

If the UAE government stopped guaranteeing its 'bright' citizens easy jobs and large pay-packets, they might get some semblance of the motivation that European students display - but that's just wishful thinking on my part, I guess.


Exactly. The one knotty problem the government faces is pulling the plug on the pay off they extend to Emiratis in exchange for no agitation for more representative government. It goes to the core of the problem, the double speak, the inconsistencies, the mixed messages.

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

[freesoul]

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100224/NATIONAL/702239830/1019

[veiledsentiments]

How many times has this death been knelled?

Here is the key sentence from the latest article:

However, university staff said remedial courses could not simply be removed if the quality of secondary education remained below par.

Since it also states that currently 94% of entry students require remediation in English, math, and Arabic, I'd say current teachers need not worry about their current contracts... at least not in this regard... and probably a few more contracts after that.

VS

[Green Acres]

Necessity will permeate whatever the directives are, and in those countries -- Korea, Singapore, etc -- there are foundation programs, especially in English. Universities would not survive without them.

Most universities have these types of courses for students who do not have necessary competencies -- it's just western students don't spend years in these departments, but rather a few credits here and there to reach the prerequisite level for courses.

Better curriculum and efforts are needed at earlier stages of the learning cycle, and until such manifests....it will be business as usual.

business as usual.

[sharter]

Take Egyptian PT off the curriculum and there'd be plenty of room for IELTS:)