HW 40: The Hardships of Iraqi Students
A podcast I’ve recently viewed is “Challenges at a Girls’ School in Baghdad” from the Alive in Baghdad online series, published 5/21/2007. The episode investigates the middle school of Al-Safina located in Adhamiya, Iraq, which serves young girls from all over Baghdad. It focuses on the hardships and continuing violence in the area, and how it affects the students. Despite the challenges of learning in a violent and dangerous atmosphere, the students are still so dedicated to their education. The school director, a teacher, and multiple students all speak about their experiences in the video. One particular student who was memorable to me was an eigth grade girl who describes the difficulties she encounters when the Americans search the area while she’s on her way to school. She is of Iraqi origin, just as the other students are, except that she seemed to be one of the few not wearing the piece of fabric that covers her hair. She was however dressed in black and white school uniform, just as all her other classmates are. The director of the school discusses how her school is not the only one suffering from violence and danger, and she also mentions how staff members are even unable to make it to the school at times. She goes on to complain how the poor students often fall behind when they are unable to make it to school for whatever reason, including road and bridge blocks, or when the district is under search. Another student who was interviewed describes the checkpoints and road blocks, and how they cause many accidents (which she has experienced firsthand). Due to these challenges, including sectarianism and displacement, the number of students enrolled in the school has been decreasing. It is so sad when students have the motivation and desire to excel and learn, and are prevented from doing so. I think American students, especially those in richer and nicer areas, should watch these videos and try to learn from these girls. So many American children hate school, don’t do their work, drop of out school due to pure laziness or lack of motivation, and complain constantly about what they should be grateful for. Education is truly a privelidge, not to mention our educational system is one that is far more complex and technologicall advanced than of that which I observed in the video. I’ve seen American classrooms filled with laptops, computers, internet access, television, and even “smart boards” rather than chalk boards. These students are trying their hardest and doing the best with what they can just to learn and attempt to get the best education they can, and I think that many of us should try to learn from their example.
