American International School of Kurdistan Erbil

Repulished from “The Kurdish Globe” https://www.thefreelibrary.com/School+struggles+to+meet+American+standards.-a0283490397

Rawaz Koyee–Erbil

Lack of proper teaching materials and other mishaps questioned

Teachers at local American International School criticize its lack of adherence to America’s education principles and standards.

An American flag flies over the two-storey school building while a picture of former US President George W. Bush and Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani hang on a wall inside. “American International School” is written on a huge blue panel, attracting passers-by on the main Gulan Street.

Following the US-led invasion and the economic boom Kurdistan Region has been witnessing over the last nine years, Kurdish parents seeking to provide better education for their children turned to private schools like the AIS that began flourishing in the Region.

Fourteen-year-old seventh-grader Zana Kakl’s parents pay more than $4,000US per year for what they assume is a higher quality of education at AIS so that Zana can realize “the Kurdish dream” that previous generations failed to achieve. “I want to learn English and improve my speaking skills,” said the seventh-grader in excellent English.

While the AIS receives funding from USAID, a number of American teachers who taught and still teach there are raising complaints about the school”s policies and teaching standards.

“In November, textbooks arrived but most were far too advanced for the level of English spoken by most students. No Social Studies books had been ordered, so I was forced to subscribe to an educational Website at my own expense in order to have reading materials for my students,” says Bette Hydrick, a former AIS teacher.

Hydrick began teaching at AIS in October 2011, making $2,500 per month. She resigned on in February 2012 and returned to the US.

A teacher requesting anonymity confirmed Hydrick’s statement. “The curriculum is supposed to be an American one which depends on textbooks. But AIS teachers have to depend on the Internet for teaching materials, which they must copy and print. That is not how you teach in America.” The teacher added, “The principal is ordering books that he wants but that will not work here.”

AIS opened its doors to Kurdish students in October 2011. Currently, some 300 students are enrolled in 10 grades, including kindergarten, and taught by eight American, one Canadian, one South American, and nine Kurdish teachers.

Alarming is the fact that, while the KRG Ministry of Education recommended that the school charge students $1,500 for enrollment, the school requires parents to pay $3,800, which is over twice that amount.

The Globe tried to reach the school principal, Azad Hawrami, for a comment; but he was unavailable.

Shna Shahab (a pseudonym) spoke to The Globe on behalf of the school administration. “We have already discussed the fee [$3,800] with the Ministry of Education and told them that the extra charge is for school expenses. We pay for teachers” salaries and books that come to us from the US. Their response was that if our excuse is rational and valid, then they will let us continue with the current fee.”

Regarding teachers’ complaints about the lack of proper schoolbooks, Shahab said that the school has its own books and curriculum. “We don’t have any shortages when it comes to books; the books are provided based on the number of students.”

Power outages

Hydrick and other teachers also complained about power shortages and poor cooking facilities. “From the end of October until I left Erbil on February 16, there were daily power outages from around 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and from midnight to 7:20 a.m. or 8:00 a.m. Sometimes the power was out for 15 hours. The teachers froze during the night. When these outages occurred, Hawrami would often leave the school and go to his sister’s house until the power came back on. When we complained, he’d often remark: “Well, this is Kurdistan,?”said Hydrick.

She recalled the first day she arrived at AIS. “I was quite shocked to see the accommodations in which I would be living for the next eight months. There was a refrigerator and a microwave but no cooking facilities. The mattress was thin and hard like a rock. I had back and leg aches the entire time I was there.”

Shahab said the American teachers make the shortage of power a bigger issue than it really is. “They are American and unaccustomed to power cuts. I believe it’s their right to complain about a shortage of power.”

Shahab did not comment further on the extended power outages, but a male employee who also chose to remain anonymous admitted that power outages do occur. He criticized the government for not keeping its promises to provide the school with continuous power.

The school building was originally constructed as a motel. “Even the building is inappropriate; the kids do not have enough room to play,” said Hydrick.

Copyright 2006 – 2012 The Kurdish Globe

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