The end of another school term - not actually a term but a session - we have now closed for summer and only reopen on 1st Sept.
It has been hectic - but in the UAE there is no let up- it will be even more hectic September onwards .
Looking back over the term I am filled with relief its over and satisfaction it went well.
There were the usual expected ups and downs but they were unavoidable .
The pace in India was slower and still is in most schools . While parental expectations have risen all over the authorities and the inspections if any are not as stringent .
We hated them here as they were and still are stressful but they have helped streamline procedures and they do keep school focused .
Imagine a 5 day inspection-5 7 inspectors who spend all day in school.
They check anything that can be checked ........................ teaching and learning , exercise books, assignments, marks, results, health and safety, leadership and management , records, transport, parental involvement, pupil and parent feedback , corrections, lesson plans , exam results, graphs , methods, policies, records - you name it and they want to see it !
Functions are equally stressing - there is no room for error - everyone expects everything to be perfect !
Does the perfect state even exist I ask ?
Transport is also quite a pain.
Over 90 % of pupils use school transport . Our transport company is one of the best but there always will be the usual hiccups........................ buses late, pupils troubling each other , refusing to buckle up, not at the stop at the correct time and hence missing the bus, littering , arguing with the conductor ( !!), accidents along the way which result in pupils and kids coming in late and classes being left unattended .
Time and again we have had to bring forward the morning pick up timings to try and beat the early morning rush but buses continue to come in late as the quantum of traffic in Dubai is on the rise.
How does one sort out Open days for parents .
Whenever you have it there will always be a rush and parents will always want a change. Its a no win situation for any school .
But despite all this school has been fun
Whenever I am stressed out I take a walk into the Junior school and a few minutes of chatting to some kids and you feel happy and refreshed once again !
As I get ready to head off to Pune I am filled with a sense of nostalgia - Pune is home now and I was there for 20 years before moving to the Middle East .
It has been hectic - but in the UAE there is no let up- it will be even more hectic September onwards .
Looking back over the term I am filled with relief its over and satisfaction it went well.
There were the usual expected ups and downs but they were unavoidable .
The pace in India was slower and still is in most schools . While parental expectations have risen all over the authorities and the inspections if any are not as stringent .
We hated them here as they were and still are stressful but they have helped streamline procedures and they do keep school focused .
Imagine a 5 day inspection-5 7 inspectors who spend all day in school.
They check anything that can be checked ........................ teaching and learning , exercise books, assignments, marks, results, health and safety, leadership and management , records, transport, parental involvement, pupil and parent feedback , corrections, lesson plans , exam results, graphs , methods, policies, records - you name it and they want to see it !
Functions are equally stressing - there is no room for error - everyone expects everything to be perfect !
Does the perfect state even exist I ask ?
Transport is also quite a pain.
Over 90 % of pupils use school transport . Our transport company is one of the best but there always will be the usual hiccups........................ buses late, pupils troubling each other , refusing to buckle up, not at the stop at the correct time and hence missing the bus, littering , arguing with the conductor ( !!), accidents along the way which result in pupils and kids coming in late and classes being left unattended .
Time and again we have had to bring forward the morning pick up timings to try and beat the early morning rush but buses continue to come in late as the quantum of traffic in Dubai is on the rise.
How does one sort out Open days for parents .
Whenever you have it there will always be a rush and parents will always want a change. Its a no win situation for any school .
But despite all this school has been fun
Whenever I am stressed out I take a walk into the Junior school and a few minutes of chatting to some kids and you feel happy and refreshed once again !
As I get ready to head off to Pune I am filled with a sense of nostalgia - Pune is home now and I was there for 20 years before moving to the Middle East .
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