Creepology

I was under the impression that here in KSA, the powers that be in "education" were very keen on reform in education. Over the summer last, I spent the time, when I should have been on vacation, devising a new method of education. One which relied on providing background knowledge to students and then requiring them to use this information in solving associated problems. A kind of problem based learning with notable adaptations.

However, noble as it appeared, this is an approach which is almost unanimously despised. Students are here in universities not to think, but to memorize chapters from textbooks and regurgitate this same information in the examinations. The questions in the exams are required, it seems, to be so direct with regard to a word-for-word regurgitation of material, that undoubtedly an answer script coated in a thick layer of vomit must be deemed a correct answer. Full marks attached to a whole bucket of vomit no doubt.

Students seem to also believe that have a right to complain if the course is "difficult" for them.
It seems also that for many if they don't achieve the marks they want, like spoiled children, Daddy will intervene, in writing or calling, to whichever "big shot" is in his circle of acquaintances. The next step, often the lecturer is fired or at least it seems that the professor in question is at fault and his replacement is lined up. We shall see my fate.

In fact last semester, one student in particular, did threaten me with Daddy and his cohorts. I told them to sling their hook in no uncertain terms. Who cares, after all, they need me, and not the other way around.

Yesterday, something else, a particularly creepy student, of which their are many here, told me that I do not explain the lecture well. The fact is that I use so much animation, graphics, and so many analogies that this, is in no way factual.

In reality I speak in English, the course is designated to be taught in English, yet many of the students have diabolical English proficiency (despite having 90-100% in their pre-University English Exams). So ultimately they don't understand. That apparently is my fault.

They seem to understand the other lecturers, but just not me. I wonder if the fact that I am the only, non-Arab teaching here has any bearing on the matter. Perhaps my English is not, ahem, Arabic enough for them.

I have another lecture tomorrow. Facing the creepy students with my skin again crawling. There is no doubt that some of my students are decent and try their best. They are respectful and generous. I cannot tarnish them all with the same brush. . However, sadly the creeps seems to put a dampener on proceedings. Actually it is interesting that there are two types of creep here, those who are downright abusive like the last and unfortunately another kind; I have never come across students like this before, smarmy sycophants who suck up in the vain belief that I might give them extra marks for their effort. Urgh, it that a scorpion climbing up my back?