This week our BA Learning and teaching students had the opportunity to talk with a teacher working in an international school in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 

Module tutor, Laura-Jane Devanny, organised this experience to help bring to life the PDT3009 Education beyond boundaries module that they are currently studying.

Simon Clark, Deputy Headteacher at the British International School, Jeddah, talked to the students about his career path since qualifying and completing his QTS year in England. This included working in schools in Bali, China and Saudi Arabia. He was able to share his knowledge and experience about education in other places and the impact culture, economics and politics can have on educational systems. 

He started by asking the students where in the world they would like to be teaching right now and there were some interesting ideas shared on the Menti by the Leicester group, pictured here, and also by the Northampton group. 

The students also contributed their ideas of what culture is before Simon went to discuss aspects of education in other countries and the part culture plays in influencing how schools operate and how learning takes place in the classroom, as well the impact on day to day life.

 

Culture shock and how people adapt to teaching in very different places was also discussed. When BALT students are considering their own comparisons they could be considering differences in cultures between countries as a factor in the exchange of ideas and implementation of approaches.

 

It was interesting to hear about the differences and similarities between what happens in the classroom, links to the local communities and the effect of Covid19 in other places. 

Students had the opportunity to ask questions about the curriculum, inspection, assessment and funding. 

We were very grateful to Simon for his time and enthusiasm in giving us insight into education elsewhere in the world.