Dear Betsy, I have two girls aged 14 and eight and regarding, school education, may I say how naive I was when looking for school places for them in Bahrain.
We came from England where my 14-year-old had level 7/8 in her SAT tests and my eight-year-old passed all her tests with the highest grades possible in England.
All I did was look at schools on the web and one well-known school kept popping up time and again. I thought, this was the only school for my children, so I paid the registration fee and paid the exam fee and was told there was a place for my girls providing they passed the entry test.
What a joke! My 14-year-old failed the test (remember she is a top grade A student in UK) and my eight-year-old passed so well that they demanded a psychiatric report for her! I felt so sick inside.
I felt ripped off that this so-called British-aspired school could demand a psychiatric report, or no places would be given and it could not explain WHY the psychiatric test was needed!
I would advise any expat to please, please, look at all your options.
My girls have now passed a test into a Bahrain international school and they are so SO happy.
They learn Arabic as a second language and the Bahraini teachers are so helpful and kind to them.
I was so scared that if I didn’t get them into an English school they wouldn’t settle into Bahrain life, but they have and you need to know the culture you live in or it’s so easy to slip into a bubble.
I now see that the other school has done me a big favour.
If they hadn’t been so stuck up in their ways my girls would never have been given the chances they have been given at Naseem International School.
Yours Sincerely,
Kerry Williams
Dear Kerry,
I am sorry to hear of the unpleasantness experienced by your girls. I never realised that you needed a psychiatric test when you had a high IQ!
Did they consider the far-reaching effect this could have on your child? What next … lie detector test to check if you are being truthful about your family history?
Perhaps the creator of this school’s entrance tests and admissions policy is the one who should be made to undergo psychiatric testing!
I subscribe to the theory that ‘every cloud has a silver lining’ and it seems that in your case, Naseem International School has provided that silver lining.
I know expat adults who were born in Bahrain, have lived here their whole lives and don’t speak a word of Arabic. How sad. How insular.
It is wonderful that your girls are learning the language of their host country and it’s culture and traditions.
Who knows what success and benefits that will reap them in later life. Wouldn’t the world be a much better place if we all just understood each other’s language, history culture and traditions a bit better?
Thank you for sharing this with us Kerry, I am sure it will give hope to all those parents who find themselves in a similar situation.
Dear Betsy,
I loved your recent ‘ARK’, Act of Random Kindness article. It really prompted me into thinking about being grateful for what I and my family have and how little some of our neighbours have.
I decided that day to cook extra food and take it round to our neighbours who are celebrating Ramadan. I was so humbled when I saw the mother's reaction of gratitude and happiness – that such a simple thing could have such a powerful effect on a fellow human being.
I also felt ashamed of myself for not thinking about this sooner. I share this with you in the hope that it will help others to take your advice.
Not only did it help my neighbour but it made me feel wonderful too. Thank you Betsy for making me aware of this. I had a smile on my face for days.
Mrs Feelgood
Dear Mrs Feelgood,
Wow! Aren’t the simplest things always the best? I am happy to hear from you about your Act of Random Kindness. For readers who may have missed this article, I was referring to the movie Evan Almighty where one of the characters is urged to change the world, “by one Act of Random Kindness at a time”.
As you can see the smallest unselfish act can have a profoundly positive effect on yourself and others. So let’s all try to make our little corner of the world better by performing an Act of Random Kindness to a friend, neighbour, colleague or even a complete stranger.
REMEMBER: Kindness is Contagious! Pass it on!
ARK today and email me at betsymathieson@hotmail .com to share your experiences with us all.
Dear Betsy,
Do you know of any yoga classes or teachers in Bahrain, as I’m trying to get back into it after my car accident.
Kind regards,
Kevin
Dear Kevin,
It is not so easy to find yoga classes that cater for men or a mixed group. Try calling The Bahrain Wellness Resort in Budaiya on 17795961 or the Bayoga Centre in Juffair on 17 725027.
I would recommend your check with your doctor to make sure you are physically ready for exercise, even something as therapeutic as yoga. Often physiotherapy is the best place to begin your rehabilitation and your therapist can show you specific exercises that best suit your needs and combined with yoga this may offer you a more beneficial and quicker return to your former self.
Another option is acupuncture which I believe is available at the Ibn Al Nafees Hospital’s Physiotherapy Department. I wish you a speedy recovery.
Dear Betsy,
I have read your previous advice about hair loss and I am looking for the following products in Bahrain:
Jojoba oil, Rosemary Essential oil, Roman chamomile oil, Geranium essential oil and baking soda.
I have no idea as to where to find these products in Bahrain. I have, however, tried approaching a few local pharmacies but the pharmacists seem to be clueless when I ask them for the above mentioned products.
So could you please help me find these products in stores in Bahrain?
And could you also kindly tell me the estimated prices of these items? Thanks so much for your help.
Mr Confused
Dear Mr Confused,
The baking soda you should find in any good supermarket.
Try Nasser Pharmacy in New Zinj or beside Alosra Supermarket in Budaiya and the Body Shop for the oils.
Good luck and if any other readers know where to purchase these items in Bahrain then please write in and share this information with us.
BETSY SAYS
RELAX ...
A little of what you fancy does you good, but a lot of what you fancy does you bad! Moderation in all things is the best policy so indulge yourself a little this week.
Book that massage, eat that cookie, have that mega sandwich buy a new lipstick, cook your favourite dish.
Be good to yourself, you deserve it.
Dear Betsy,
Lots of parents are very interested in the school debate going on in your column and are waiting to see where it all goes.
We hope a certain school is worried just a tad! Name the bandits we say! Keep up your good work Betsy.
Very Interested Parents Anonymous.
Dear VIPA,
Thanks for writing in. It is obvious from the size of my Inbox, and even the text messages I am receiving, that this is a very emotive issue and let’s hope the schools concerned take all these comments on board and do something positive about it all.
It seems to me from the letters I am receiving that many parents are frustrated at what they see as the high-handed treatment handed down to them and their children.
Time for a rethink on the part of some school admissions policies?
I would like to hear from some of the private schools in Bahrain who are willing to embrace the kingdom’s move towards transparency and fairness to all and share with us their Official Admission Policies.
As parents we all want the best education for our kids. Let’s face it, in some parts of the world the type of discrimination and treatment that some of our readers have experienced could be deemed illegal and the schools involved could face legal action and perhaps a hefty fine.
Education is not just about exam results (although I can’t deny their importance in today’s competitive world) and not every child is a natural academic but may have other valuable skills that need to be nurtured.
I can’t imagine what our world would be like if we were all robotic, highly-literate, scientific, mathematician types. We need the athletic, caring, artistic, creative, intuitive types to bring balance to humanity. Schools need to be inclusive to offer a truly rounded education.
Dear Betsy,
This is in response to the letter from Bitter, Angry Mother.
I wonder if you are aware that people who work in Saudi Arabia and live here in Bahrain are doing so illegally? If they were living and working here in Bahrain and paying their taxes, maybe they would rightly have recourse to go to the Ministry of Education.
Maybe that’s why their children weren’t accepted at the school?
There are enough children here in Bahrain that should be admitted first. If they don’t like the ‘American’ system in Saudi and they care so much about their children’s schooling, maybe they should just go back to England!
JWVG
Dear JWVG,
I am not sure of the legalities for expats living in Bahrain and working in Saudi but I am assuming that this family must have legal resident permits etc and the husband must have legal employment status otherwise how would he, as an expat, gain entry/exit across the causeway?
I am assuming that the family still have Saudi resident status too, otherwise the kids would not be able to go back and forth to school there.
As for paying their taxes, I am not sure what you mean.
Do you mean the Municipality Tax that has to be paid on rented property? As they are renting a villa for their family then this is a compulsory payment and without paying it they would have no water or electricity.
Aren’t you being a bit harsh with your comments about going back to England? If you are simply an expat-basher then I ask you to remember that this family (and all expats) contribute a lot to Bahrain’s economy and the overall development of the kingdom and have done for many years.One of the things I have always loved about Bahrain is its historically tolerant and welcoming attitude to people of all nationalities and beliefs.
I feel that is one reason that Bahrain is such a special place to live and it could teach many countries a thing or two about living in harmony. Of course, it’s not perfect but then what country, or individual, is?
My intuition tells me your main objection is about them rejecting the American educational system in favour (not favor) of the British one.
That is their prerogative and quite frankly after reading recently that the leader of a certain country can’t even speak a simple sentence without making a hugely embarrassing grammatical mistake that even a six-year-old could master, then I know which educational system I would place my faith in. But then again, not everyone has such high standards.
If you only do one thing this week
Join in one of the many activities around the Island that are being organised for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Try a family fitness class or enjoy the gala dinner with friends. Socialise and help a good cause at the same time. See GulfWeekly’s OUT and ABOUT page or call Jules Sprakel of Think Pink, on 39076717.
