Girls Group (the few who agreed to a photo)
So, the teaching part of my visit started on Monday. The schedule is variable but in general I teach at the Arab Institute school to a group of about 15 boys age 15, though I have cut the nember to about 8. Then I go to the Camden friendship House where I teach a group of girls, also aged about 15. Sometimes there are 20 – 25 of them all crammed in a small room. Then I either teach a women’s group
Walking home with some of the Women
or go to a training centre in another place to teach Enlish for secretaries! This lasts from about 12.30 to about 5 so I make the most of my relaxed mornings as I am usually pretty exhausted afterwards. Of course just when I think I’m far too exhausted to do anything other than go home I am invited to go with one of the women to the house of Maryam who was killed by soldiers last month to see her husband and daughter – a real priviledge of course – or to have lunch or tea at the “orphanage”. As my time here is short I want to fit in as much as possible and I am very happy to have these inviations. I sometimes feel that it is wrong to intrude into people’s suffering but they are keen that people hear their stories and I always ask if they are happy for me to write about them and show their photos. Despite their suffering they are unceasingly good humoured and hospitable.
The girls and boys are very lively and confident on the whole and speak very openly.
What I find most difficult and waring is the terrible acoustics in the rooms. It is really difficult to hear what anyone is saying as the noise booms about the room. Its just as well that with the girls we are all on top of each other! I do enjoy the teaching but have no idea what the children and women think of it!
I am rapidly finding out what class control tactics are effective. The best so far was when I told them about respect – for themselves, each other and the teacher! We repeat this mantra regularly in the girls classand it seems to work (don’t know where I dredged it up frombut glad I did! They aslo tell me it is an Arabic custom to all talkall the time! Then the Mosque is right next door and the calling from the there is loud to hear.
They ask interesting questions like “Do I read the Koran?” and Why Not? One of the women again asked me what I thought Britain should do as we are reponsible for their occupation because of the Balfour agreement.
Another difficulty is the mixed ability but the better ones are happy to help in interpreting.
The women are writing articles for the Camden Abu Dis newsletter as well as having general conversation/discussion. I have managed to combine this by them reading in turns one article and then discussing it. The articles so far are about women’s rights under Islam which they all agree are good, and about schools in Abu Dis.
I think the boys thought I was a bit boring on Tuesday but they seemed much more engaged today and I took my video which I produced at the end. Maybe they just needed some time to get to know me a bit. The girls generally do not want to be photographed or filmed, though a few are more than happy. The women seem happy to be photographed as long as they are wearing their hijab. I am a bit unique in the school as apart from the UNRWA schools the schools are completely gender segregated and this applies to the pupils, staff and support staff.
The secretarial course is fun. Today they did how to make an appointment with an English person. Of course this is quite culture influenced so for example I taught them to keep saying please, not to ask personal questions like how old are you, but I didn’t tell them to offer coffee which is traditional wherever you go here. For example today I had some in a shop where I went to buy a converter for my battery charger. When we were travelling we notched up several cups an hour it seemed as we went to so many meetings. It is starngelyhabit foring as I thnk it is always sweet giving you energy even if you haven’t had a chance to eat and the caffeine, being very strong coffee keeps you going through the day (in more ways than one!). Fortunately the word Toilet is understood.
Two sides of the Arab Institute school for boys.
1. Study in the library.
Arab Institute Library2. Bullet hole in the window, left after Israeli soldiers entered the building.Bullet hole in school wimdow
Bullet hole in School window
The Arab institute is in a very nice building funded with money from Kuwait. However the library has very old books e.g. Encylopaedia Americana from 1962, a donation. The teacher told me that a large financial donation had been made to the school from another midle East country but that the US had blocked the payment into the account , probably because they are linked to Hamas somehow. Part of the occupation means that all Bank transactions are contolled by Israel and the CIA also monitor and stop what they don’t like.
