Grahamstown local, Thomas Boughey now teaches English in Oman in the Middle East, and writes about his experiences there in a two-part series. In this second installment, he compares their education system to the South African one and wonders what measures could be taken to improve learning in our country.
Grahamstown local, Thomas Boughey now teaches English in Oman in the Middle East, and writes about his experiences there in a two-part series. In this second installment, he compares their education system to the South African one and wonders what measures could be taken to improve learning in our country.
I have come to this small town on the outskirts of the desert to work in a newly developed university teaching English to foundation students.
As a result of the benevolent Sultan Qaboos Bin Said's vision, the transformation of Oman since 1970 has been staggering. Upon succeeding his father to the throne in July 1970, the Sultan has made great strides in modernising the country from the factional backwater state that existed 40 years ago. In 1970 there were only seven kilometres of tarred road and three schools existed in the whole sultanate, built at a rate of one every 19 years.
Under the first 16 months of the Sultan’s rule, 16 new schools had been developed, which was a 662% increase in the number of students receiving an education.
Living in Oman has made me realise the tremendous potential for radical transformation in South Africa. Under the guidance of good leadership and with a sound vision for development in place, it's amazing what can be achieved. After living in Oman, I wonder whether a benevolent dictatorship is a more effective form of governance than democracy.
There is an interesting correlation between the students I teach here and students in South Africa; most of the students here are first generation scholars, the sons and daughters of Bedouin herdsmen in the desert. In South Africa, many students are first generation scholars as well. As we all know, under apartheid access to education was a privilege afforded to a small minority. In Oman, access to education had been denied largely due to the insular and atavistic attitudes of the previous ruler, the Sultan Said Bin Taimur, who purposefully chose to hold Oman back and keep it underdeveloped, separate from the rest of the world, a kind of self-imposed isolation if you will.
There is quite an evident caste system in Oman, which also echoes South Africa’s apartheid legacy. Oman has a large immigrant population of Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and Indians. These immigrants perform mostly menial jobs such as cleaning, construction work and working in restaurants. It's common for expats here to be assigned their own Bangladeshi domestic workers to do their cleaning, ironing and washing for a pittance of a wage.
Coming from South Africa this feels very close to home. My domestic worker is a teenage boy named Moni, who comes from Chittagong in Bangladesh. Moni came to Oman three years ago after being funded by a sponsor (an Omani resident) who paid for his flight ticket. This may seem like an act of generosity, but the idea is that the Bangladeshi servant works for free for his sponsor, and can only make a living by doing menial jobs about town. Moni’s passport is kept by his sponsor and it's unlikely he'll be able to go home again.
This is the harsh reality facing many immigrants in the Gulf region who come over to make a living. The relationship I have with Moni is very similar to the relationship any white person would have with their domestic worker in South Africa. My Bengali is almost non-existent and Moni’s English is also very basic.
I come up your backside? Moni asked once. I have worked out that this is a request to follow me to the shop. Moni has been teaching me some Bengali and justifiably laughs whenever I try to practice the correct pronunciation, failing abysmally.
I have enjoyed my time in Oman so far, and while I intend on returning home, living here has given me some perspective on myself and my own country. I often smile to myself as I think of the quote by Dagobert D. Runes who said: People travel to faraway places to watch in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home.
