'File 4/13 II Kuwait Education' [‎212r] (423/844)

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imagination, the inability to apply knowledge under novel
circumstances and the inclination to sit and watch while
others work. A copy of a detailed analysis of teaching met
hods used in the schools is attached, together with correct
ive instructions. These are to be distributed to members of
the staff.
The teaching in the Kindergarten classes in many cases
is very good. This is done mostly by local teachers, some of
whom were trained in Iraq. The "born" teachers should be
given the lower classes while those of highest qualifications,
the upper.
c. syllabus .
There are slight difx’erences in each of the town boys*
following is representative:
Primary 2
History & Geography of
Kuwait added.
schools but the
Kindergarten
&T Primary T .~
Religion! - qo ran.
Arabic Heading fit Writing.
Arithmetic.
Stories.
Drawing.
Physical Training.
The allocation of time for each
dominates in all classes.
Primary 3 .
General ‘History & Geog
raphy added.
Primary 4.5 &6 .
English, :-:tflics & General
Knowledge added.
Secondary 1 &2
Chemistry, Natural History
Geometry i Algebra added,
subject is good. Arabic pre-
d. standard of learning of Pupils .
Religion. History & Geography .
All answers are given parrot fashion. Further questions
showed that there is no real understanding of the content of
the answers.
Arabic .
Teachers rarely question the boy after giving a lesson
and consequently assume that they understand far more than
they do. Generally the standard is fair.
Arithmetic.
Never once during my visit did I see a class engaged in
working out examples on paper or on slates. Sach lesson one
boy does an example or two on the board while the remainder
of the class watch (or doze). The consequence is that when
they are examined i& is almost the first time that they htive
put pen to paper and the results are very poor indeed. They
can rarely set about the problem and when they do they are
slow, inaccurate and untidy.
English .
The standard is very low indeed, owing to the very poor
teaching. The present method id for the pupils to learn by
heart certain questions and answers, with the Arabic trans
lations sandwiched between. A question in English produces
either the translation in Arabic or a prepared answer not
applicable to the situation.
This must be changed through the example of the Egyptian
£ g ^ q 3 r S •
The book in use is the Oxford Reader. As the Egyptians
have been trained to teach Longman*s New Method series I