Page 203 - Records of Bahrain (5) (ii)_Neat

i I

The progress oj state education, 1939-1941 523

45

The I'mul point is about tho Euturo Rooruitmont of Teachers, so long
ns it remains necessary to rcoruit teaohnro for Bahrain from abroad. As
far us t was ablo, when I "as visiting tbo schools, I obsorved very carefully
tho men who aro now employed, and a fow days lator I had an opportunity
ol comparing them with tho teachers who aro omploycd in tho schools of
Kuwait.

In my opiuion, soino of tho teachers employed in Bahrain aro very
much too young, and thcroforo inexperienced. Such men must of necessity
be merely experimenting with education, at tho oxponso of their pupils. To
mnko matters worse, tho less oxporionced of the toachors have iu gcnoral
been allotted to tho inoro junior olasses, which, as I havo alroady shown,
aro tho most important classes in tho wholo systom. This could never
havo happened if oxpcrionced teachors alouo had boon ougagod.

There is a furthor danger of engaging for our boys toachors who havo
themselves been educated, or who havo obtuiuod thoir teaohing exporionco,
iiudcr the wrong mothods—I mean in Middle Eastern schools not run on
European lines. Such teachers canuot fail to pass on to their pupils
tho mistaken idoas upon which their own education has boon based.

Then thoro is tho danger of importing into Bahrain toachors who may
attempt to ongftgo in political activities, sido by sido with thoir school
duties. This is from all points of view utterly undesirable.
Finally, we have scon tho damago which is dono by tho foroigner who
adopts an atlitudo of superiority towards tho nativos of tho country to
which he comes as a teachor.

Taking all thoso things into cousidoratiou, I thiuk that your ITigbness’s
Education Dopartmout would bo wiso, whon foroign toaohors aro being
engaged iu the futuro, to proceed according to tho following rules :
(I) Novor ougago a teachor who is vory young, or who has littlo
teaching exporionco.

(*2) Nover engage a toachor who has himsolf boon oducatod, or
whoso solo teaching exporionce has beon gained, in government
schools iu Egypt or in Iraq, einco tho oducation systems of
thoso countries, and tho methods omployed, aro unsuitable for
Bahrain.
(3) Endeavour, by making careful enquiries before appointment, to
avoid engaging the kind of teachor who will dabblo in politics
or adopt a superior attitudo towards tho natives after he gots
to Bahrain.
The above rulos aro merely negativo. Wo oan add two positive ones :

( l) If Syria is to bo drawn upon at all, try to ougago a Lebanono
rather thau a true Syrian, since the former will probably bo