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lewis
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Posted: Sunday May 15th, 2005 09:08 |
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hi everyone. I am a white man from London and I'd like to say firstly that I appreciate you letting me post in your community. I fully understand this is a site for black people and applaud the reasons behind that. In reading the boards here I have learned a great deal already.
I teach media and cultural studies and in my classes there are African-Americans, Africans and some Black British young people, male and female. (Black students make up maybe a quarter of the class). Along the way I try to do what I see as the right thing and help those students to challenge and question the mainstream media, introducing them to other forms of representation (like national cinema, not Hollywood), and encouraging them to explore their own identities and histories.
Ideally I guess a black member of faculty would teach at least some of these classes, but it may not surprise you to know -- there is only one black man teaching at my college, and he is part time. All the rest are white.
Some people reading this may think a white man has no place teaching black students because he can't truly understand anything about their perspective and situation. But unless I deliberately left my job and demanded that my employers replace me with a black teacher, that's the position I am in, so I have to do the best I can for now.
I wanted to ask the community here for some more advice and suggestions about some possible ways to teach black identity and history. Here's some of what I do in class now:
-- critically examining the representation of black men and women in Hollywood cinema, using the work of two black scholars Stuart Hall and Donald Bogle. I found some very interesting information linked off this site to JimCrow.org, with ideas about the racist stereotypes Hollywood has used over the years: Bogle and Hall talk about the same things. Maybe somebody here knows some other useful links about caricatures and stereotypes in mainstream white cinema: in class for instance we talk about the Mammy and the Tom and whether black actors in TV and cinema are still forced into these types (eg. I have seen people using Ainsley Herriot on this website as an example of an idiot clown figure selling out.)
-- showing alternative cinema to Hollywood, eg. the work of great Senegalese filmmaker Sembene Ousmane and the first film made in South Africa by a black director. I confess I am relatively ignorant about African cinema so if anyone here knows of any other great and important movies from the continent, I would truly appreciate suggestions.
-- I take the students on a trip to the British Museum to critically explore this mainstream representation of Africa and its cultures, and then to the Africa Centre in London where some of the curators give students a tour round this building's history and its library of documents and images from African cultural heritage.
-- in one class we use the work of Stuart Hall again to examine the way mainstream newspapers represent young black men as dangerous youth; the language used to describe young black people and the subtle racism at work.
-- in another we look at articles that suggest The Cosby Show was important for black audiences because it gave a new representation of black families -- but at the same time, the wealthy Huxtables allowed some "liberal" whites to pretend racism no longer existed.
-- In Black History Month in particular I think it is important to focus on the experience of black students and encourage them to bring in material to teach the rest of the class: eg. one young man last year gave a talk to his peers on the Nigerian computer scientist Emeagwali and the way white journals had tried to suppress this man's name and black identity.
I present this post to you in the hope that some of you might be kind enough to give me some ideas -- what else could and should I do to encourage black students to connect with their heritage and understand the way mainstream media represent them. I don't mean to intrude upon the community and thank you for listening.
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Le Moor
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Posted: Sunday May 15th, 2005 09:33 |
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One thing you could do for black children, is to recruit other like minded teachers, and start campaigning to change the national curriculum to include relevant subjects. Such as black history for starters.
Im assuming you're in the UK?
Last edited on Sunday May 15th, 2005 09:43 by Le Moor
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lewis
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Posted: Sunday May 15th, 2005 09:47 |
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Yes I am in the UK LeMoor, but working at a university for international students. True, more fundamental changes need to be made on a deep level. It is painfully obvious for instance how "white" the faculty is, compared to the diverse cultures of the student body.
At least though in my university, lecturers have a lot of freedom in what they teach and we are not held down by a strict curriculum, so the situation is not quite the same as in schools.
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dimoke
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Posted: Sunday May 15th, 2005 10:07 |
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Lewis, having read your intro....i think you are doing the best of your ability already. The only thing you can do now is to encourage INDEPENDENT reading and research on your students' part!
Quite frankly this cultural studies will never quench the thirst of a true African history.....Your students should be aware of this and visit black stores to see the kind of books thats available FOR them, ABOUT them and what they want to learn from it.
Black/African history is complex.....and no offence to you Lewis, there is only this much that you as a white person can do.....for example it didn't matter how helpfull or well meaning some of my white teachers were, i REALLY started learning and UNDERSTANDING my position and history from conscious black friends, teachers, and parents. Its something that i think is limited on you, because lets face it, you will have to say the whole truth that YOUR people are part of the problem.....are you really comfortable and ready yourself to face up to that??? That would depend on your answer really....
Another thing is you could always direct some of them here to this website, we have a books section that has quite a good selection of history, contemporary books ect.....recommended by members here.
Thats all i have for now....if i think of anything else i will add it later....
Hope that helped a little....
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lewis
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Posted: Sunday May 15th, 2005 10:45 |
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dimoke wrote:
Black/African history is complex.....and no offence to you Lewis, there is only this much that you as a white person can do.....for example it didn't matter how helpfull or well meaning some of my white teachers were, i REALLY started learning and UNDERSTANDING my position and history from conscious black friends, teachers, and parents. Its something that i think is limited on you, because lets face it, you will have to say the whole truth that YOUR people are part of the problem.....are you really comfortable and ready yourself to face up to that??? That would depend on your answer really....
So true, Dimoke... as a white person it is almost contradictory for me to encourage black students to look at the limited roles Hollywood put black actors in (and some would say it's still doing so), because firstly it's "my people" who did it, and secondly how can I ever understand what it means for a young black person to only see those limited representations of their people in the media.
But, the alternative would be to just say well, no point me teaching any of that, cause I'm white... in which case nobody at my university would be teaching this angle on the topic. Getting guest speakers is one way of making sure those black students aren't just seeing a white face and hearing a white voice telling them how they were oppressed, and in the past I have had black experts on African cinema come in to give a talk.
I don't carry around "white liberal guilt" because to be honest, I think that helps nobody except perhaps the liberal whites, who can think better of themselves if they're hand-wringing about black history. For me to say to black students "as a white man, I apologise for what whites have done" wouldn't be useful, in my opinion...any more than I would expect a young German to apologise to me for Nazism. Our history has made us what we are, but we don't have to be victims of it. We can learn from it and break some of its negative patterns.
Instead of guilt and sorrow to make themselves feel better, I think it's more positive for white people to respect and appreciate black culture and identity, and acknowledge the struggle many black people have made on an uneven playing field. (That doesn't mean trying to act black, if you're white... I don't have so much respect for that.) But I do acknowledge of course that it was white people who, historically, oppressed black people in various ways -- brutal and subtle -- and are still doing so, mostly in the more subtle ways. It would be foolish to deny that.
Maybe as a white teacher, or a white man in general, I can't help being "part of the problem" still... but you have to do what you can, in a position of responsibility. Thanks for that reply Dimoke. I think you're right that part of my job is to encourage students to learn for themselves, and this site is a fine resource for that.
Last edited on Sunday May 15th, 2005 10:48 by lewis
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Kunjufu
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Posted: Sunday May 15th, 2005 11:31 |
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Lewis keeping this real simple in my view you're job is to do two things, inspire and act as a signpost, What do I mean...well if you can't inspire that person to see their options to do better, then you need to be that sign post that directs them to someone who can...and then support that process. That for me is you're job..
Inspire or signpost one or the other or both your choice!!
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lewis
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Posted: Sunday May 15th, 2005 12:38 |
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I agree with that, Kunjufu. The way I see it, there is a limit to what a white person can teach black students but the teacher has a responsibility to encourage those students to seek elsewhere, among people who know better.
Funny thing, at the Africa Centre in London they usually have a white guy doing the introduction and discussion with students! I guess it is good to include whites to an extent, but I was surprised there wasn't an all-black staff at the Africa Centre of all places. Maybe it's a legal requirement that they had to employ people of different ethnicities? What a middle-aged English white guy knows (or cares?) about African history has to be limited.
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CashMoney
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Posted: Sunday May 15th, 2005 15:25 |
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Apart from teaching them about their history, what else can you do? As Parris always said, History is only one subject
Maths, Science , etc is fact based . 1 + 1 = 2. A balck person wont understnd the fundamentals any less then a white person
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dimoke
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Posted: Sunday May 15th, 2005 16:07 |
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@Lewis....You are welcome...i think you are already on the route which Kunjufu has mentioned.
Nothing beats independent learning with some form of guidance. So if you are willing to be that sign post as said earlier, then your job is done...at the end of the day, this Black students are adult....they like us, must also realise your limitation on knowing everything about black history or what we go through day to day......
Most of what i have learned of VALUE about African/black history has been independent readings from books or articles written by Pan African writers....some of these they can find in the books forum or the black roots forum.
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lewis
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Posted: Sunday May 15th, 2005 16:24 |
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| Your replies are certainly making me feel reassured that I am at least going the right way. Thanks, it means a lot! I don't know why some of the white idiots on this board complain about hostility and rudeness from Blacknet when I have received nothing but courtesy and good advice. Maybe they should think about how they would behave, and the reaction they'd get, if they came to someone's home without an invitation.
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dimoke
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Posted: Sunday May 15th, 2005 16:41 |
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lewis wrote: Your replies are certainly making me feel reassured that I am at least going the right way. Thanks, it means a lot! I don't know why some of the white idiots on this board complain about hostility and rudeness from Blacknet when I have received nothing but courtesy and good advice. Maybe they should think about how they would behave, and the reaction they'd get, if they came to someone's home without an invitation.
Never mind dear I think as you can see, we do know how to deal with them accordingly.
All the best with your students I think you will do a fab job if you apply as much patience as you have shown here.
Or you could always direct the too thick ones here for some hard tough lessons from some of our no nonesense Teachers like Fredblack, Backatya, Kunjufu et all....
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Backatya
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Posted: Sunday May 15th, 2005 17:17 |
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lewis wrote:
hi everyone. I am a white man from London and I'd like to say firstly that I appreciate you letting me post in your community. I fully understand this is a site for black people and applaud the reasons behind that. In reading the boards here I have learned a great deal already.
May I welcome you and hope you continue to learn much from this site. It would be interesting to get a perspective from a white person such as yourself who seems to have come here with an open mind and a readiness to learn.
So if you don't mind me asking could you relate some of the things that comprise the "great deal" you have learnt already and how it has altered (if that be the correct term), your view of black people, or yourself as a white man even?
.....Along the way I try to do what I see as the right thing and help those students to challenge and question the mainstream media, introducing them to other forms of representation (like national cinema, not Hollywood), and encouraging them to explore their own identities and histories.
Are you specifically refering to the quarter of black students that make up your class? Or is this something you also do with the 75% whites that make up the rest of your class?
Would you agree that with the many problems that beset this society to do with race, it is not only a matter about how the 'minority' people see themselves or of they understanding, attitude and relationship to their history, but also about how the 'majority' people see other people in relation to themselves? Almost like two sides of the same coin so to speak. So are you only dealing with one side of the coin?
You talk about "encouraging them to explore their own history".........What exactly do you mean by this?
I have always understood history to be just that... history.......i.e. facts about a time before the present.
Though the past (certainly if you go back far enough) contained a time when the lives of black and white excluded, by and large, the existence of the other (so to that extent they can both be said to have had a seperate history) there are hundreds of years of history with their lives entwined, so to speak.
When speaking of the history of those interlinking years one cannot speak of black history and white history but just history and the part each played in that, let's say, combined history. I would say what you should do for ALL your students (black and white) is to shred away the lies and deception contained in history as most people are taught to understand it and reveal True History. When people understand what has truly gone before (as opposed to the contrived stuff) they can appreciate their true identity.
For example (hypothetical), both the white child and the black child are taught that a white man invented the wheel. However, the truth is that a black man invented the wheel. In teaching the black child his history (years after indoctrinating him with the believe that his people play no part in that momentous invention) it is revealed to him that it was actually a black man that invented it. He learns this in black history month, but it still does not become part of mainstream, which still gives the credit for the invention to a white man.
Now taking that hypothetical example do you feel as a teacher who is progressive enough to expose the black students to the facts of their history in regard to the wheel, that you are actually helping them to feel good about themselves and giving them an understanding of where they stood in history of mankind, when the revelation of the real history of the wheel remains firmly entrenched in Black History, (a sort of sub-division of HISTORY) away frm the mainstream?
If a black man invented the wheel, that is a fact relevant to the History Of The Wheel not just Black History and any child, no matter its color who learns about the history of the wheel, should know the facts. Would you agree?
I would say, don't teach the black students about their history.....Teah ALL your students HISTORY period.....from a perspective of truth (assuming you have the means to establish it).
Of course whilst this may help uplift the pride and self-belief in some students in knowing that they are part of a race reknowned for great contributions to the development of civilisation, it could have a demoralising effect on others who had always been led to believe that their race was responsible for those self same developments.
There are other points about your post I wish to explore, but to do it all in one go would create the mother of all posts, so I will await your comments on what I have said before contributing anything more.
I look forward to hearing what you have to say.
Respect
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Saida.M
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Posted: Sunday May 15th, 2005 21:20 |
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Backatya wrote: lewis wrote:
hi everyone. I am a white man from London and I'd like to say firstly that I appreciate you letting me post in your community. I fully understand this is a site for black people and applaud the reasons behind that. In reading the boards here I have learned a great deal already.
May I welcome you and hope you continue to learn much from this site. It would be interesting to get a perspective from a white person such as yourself who seems to have come here with an open mind and a readiness to learn.
So if you don't mind me asking could you relate some of the things that comprise the "great deal" you have learnt already and how it has altered (if that be the correct term), your view of black people, or yourself as a white man even?
.....Along the way I try to do what I see as the right thing and help those students to challenge and question the mainstream media, introducing them to other forms of representation (like national cinema, not Hollywood), and encouraging them to explore their own identities and histories.
Are you specifically refering to the quarter of black students that make up your class? Or is this something you also do with the 75% whites that make up the rest of your class?
Would you agree that with the many problems that beset this society to do with race, it is not only a matter about how the 'minority' people see themselves or of they understanding, attitude and relationship to their history, but also about how the 'majority' people see other people in relation to themselves? Almost like two sides of the same coin so to speak. So are you only dealing with one side of the coin?
You talk about "encouraging them to explore their own history".........What exactly do you mean by this?
I have always understood history to be just that... history.......i.e. facts about a time before the present.
Though the past (certainly if you go back far enough) contained a time when the lives of black and white excluded, by and large, the existence of the other (so to that extent they can both be said to have had a seperate history) there are hundreds of years of history with their lives entwined, so to speak.
When speaking of the history of those interlinking years one cannot speak of black history and white history but just history and the part each played in that, let's say, combined history. I would say what you should do for ALL your students (black and white) is to shred away the lies and deception contained in history as most people are taught to understand it and reveal True History. When people understand what has truly gone before (as opposed to the contrived stuff) they can appreciate their true identity.
For example (hypothetical), both the white child and the black child are taught that a white man invented the wheel. However, the truth is that a black man invented the wheel. In teaching the black child his history (years after indoctrinating him with the believe that his people play no part in that momentous invention) it is revealed to him that it was actually a black man that invented it. He learns this in black history month, but it still does not become part of mainstream, which still gives the credit for the invention to a white man.
Now taking that hypothetical example do you feel as a teacher who is progressive enough to expose the black students to the facts of their history in regard to the wheel, that you are actually helping them to feel good about themselves and giving them an understanding of where they stood in history of mankind, when the revelation of the real history of the wheel remains firmly entrenched in Black History, (a sort of sub-division of HISTORY) away frm the mainstream?
If a black man invented the wheel, that is a fact relevant to the History Of The Wheel not just Black History and any child, no matter its color who learns about the history of the wheel, should know the facts. Would you agree?
I would say, don't teach the black students about their history.....Teah ALL your students HISTORY period.....from a perspective of truth (assuming you have the means to establish it).
Of course whilst this may help uplift the pride and self-belief in some students in knowing that they are part of a race reknowned for great contributions to the development of civilisation, it could have a demoralising effect on others who had always been led to believe that their race was responsible for those self same developments.
There are other points about your post I wish to explore, but to do it all in one go would create the mother of all posts, so I will await your comments on what I have said before contributing anything more.
I look forward to hearing what you have to say.
Respect
 Ask it! I too look forward to his answer.
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"One of the heads of the beast seemed to have been fatally wounded, but the wound had healed. The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast".
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lewis
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Posted: Sunday May 15th, 2005 22:27 |
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Thanks for welcoming me, Backatya. I will try to answer your questions here as best I can, and sorry for the delay.
Backatya wrote:
So if you don't mind me asking could you relate some of the things that comprise the "great deal" you have learnt already and how it has altered (if that be the correct term), your view of black people, or yourself as a white man even?
Well, it would be hard to summarise everything. This is the first website I have come across that is focused on black people exploring their identity and culture, as a space mainly for black discussion (though clearly you are open minded enough to let white people listen and speak). So, I'll be honest: it was a steep learning curve with a lot of information. I have read different opinions from black people about homosexuality, for instance, and about inter-racial relationships. I have read black men appreciating black Queens and black women criticising the way some black men act when they're with a white woman. I have read black men talking about how they feel when white people clutch their bags closer, lock their car doors or cross the road when they see them. I have read some black posters who feel white people are Lucifer, the Enemy, and would take any opportunity to pulverise a white person.
Although I live in an area of London that is only 50% white, there is not a lot of social mixing between different cultures. One of the pubs down my area has a different bar for white and black customers -- apparently cause people, both white and black, like it that way. When I visit my gym I am the only white guy there among lots of black men and women, but though the atmosphere is friendly, I don't get into a lot of conversations. So, by reading Blacknet I was experiencing a culture, or cultures, that I hadn't been in touch with so much before.
One specific thing I have taken from this website is the links to other sites like Jimcrow, and African American Holocaust, which are useful education for me and maybe also for my students.
But maybe most important is the way it's made me start to think about myself as a white man. One poster on another thread linked to a site about the white person's "invisible knapsack" of privilege, that white people carry around without realising -- like a bunch of money, visas, notes of introduction that make it that much easier. That made sense to me and I hadn't thought about it before.
Another thing that struck me as deeply truthful was the idea about all (or almost all) culture being white culture -- all the media represents a white point of view. The white situation is invisible, and everywhere.
And I feel it is an important lesson, also, that white people can only really help "change" the racist structures of society by looking to their own people and their own community. Some on here, I know, disagree with that and feel white people have no role in change -- that they are irrelevant. But personally I hope some white people can turn to themselves and to other whites, and educate in that way.
.....Along the way I try to do what I see as the right thing and help those students to challenge and question the mainstream media, introducing them to other forms of representation (like national cinema, not Hollywood), and encouraging them to explore their own identities and histories.
Are you specifically refering to the quarter of black students that make up your class? Or is this something you also do with the 75% whites that make up the rest of your class?
Would you agree that with the many problems that beset this society to do with race, it is not only a matter about how the 'minority' people see themselves or of they understanding, attitude and relationship to their history, but also about how the 'majority' people see other people in relation to themselves? Almost like two sides of the same coin so to speak. So are you only dealing with one side of the coin?
You talk about "encouraging them to explore their own history".........What exactly do you mean by this?
I see what you mean. This teaching I've been discussing above is for the whole class, not just the black students (of course the black students don't all share exactly the same experience -- they are African, Black British, African American). I also have white American, Japanese, Taiwanese, Arabic, French students... young people from a range of cultures. (Not many white British... though there are a few). The idea about encouraging them to explore their own history applies to all of them. I stressed the black history and identity in my thread because this is a black community and I was asking about that specifically. But, yes, the students from all nations are all part of the classes about Hollywood representation of black characters and so on.
So, white Americans are also in this class, and inevitably the topic will ask them to question their own role as whites in this kind of oppression. Whether they take that questioning on board or deny it and ignore it is up to them in a way: I don't force white students to face up to it, and maybe I should. But the questions are asked and I hope the more perceptive, intelligent white Americans will think about their role in those structures of power.
I have always understood history to be just that... history.......i.e. facts about a time before the present.
Though the past (certainly if you go back far enough) contained a time when the lives of black and white excluded, by and large, the existence of the other (so to that extent they can both be said to have had a seperate history) there are hundreds of years of history with their lives entwined, so to speak.
When speaking of the history of those interlinking years one cannot speak of black history and white history but just history and the part each played in that, let's say, combined history. I would say what you should do for ALL your students (black and white) is to shred away the lies and deception contained in history as most people are taught to understand it and reveal True History. When people understand what has truly gone before (as opposed to the contrived stuff) they can appreciate their true identity.
For example (hypothetical), both the white child and the black child are taught that a white man invented the wheel. However, the truth is that a black man invented the wheel. In teaching the black child his history (years after indoctrinating him with the believe that his people play no part in that momentous invention) it is revealed to him that it was actually a black man that invented it. He learns this in black history month, but it still does not become part of mainstream, which still gives the credit for the invention to a white man.
Now taking that hypothetical example do you feel as a teacher who is progressive enough to expose the black students to the facts of their history in regard to the wheel, that you are actually helping them to feel good about themselves and giving them an understanding of where they stood in history of mankind, when the revelation of the real history of the wheel remains firmly entrenched in Black History, (a sort of sub-division of HISTORY) away frm the mainstream?
If a black man invented the wheel, that is a fact relevant to the History Of The Wheel not just Black History and any child, no matter its color who learns about the history of the wheel, should know the facts. Would you agree?
Yes, I would agree with that. It is the old syndrome where a TV channel has Black History Month, then goes back to 11 months of White History. Tokenistic.
For me, Black History Month is a particular opportunity to stress black history and the distortions of mainstream history that have limited our understanding of black achievement, and I think it is a positive thing during this time to particularly encourage black students to actually present in class, teaching me and their fellow students.
But that isn't the only time I think this kind of history should be taught. It would be wrong to treat Black History Month as the only time we take this perspective. You're right, Black History is part of all history. But, and I guess this is the reasoning behind having a Black History Month at all, blacks and whites are not on a level playing field. So I feel it's important that there's a Black History Month to stress black achievement, remind young black people in particular of their proud heritage and rewrite some of the official books. Ideally, I guess it wouldn't be necessary. But things are not equal at the moment. (Sorry if I am preaching stuff that's really old and obvious to you.)
I would say, don't teach the black students about their history.....Teah ALL your students HISTORY period.....from a perspective of truth (assuming you have the means to establish it).
Of course whilst this may help uplift the pride and self-belief in some students in knowing that they are part of a race reknowned for great contributions to the development of civilisation, it could have a demoralising effect on others who had always been led to believe that their race was responsible for those self same developments.
Well, tough! I'm sure telling the truth about black achievements doesn't rob white students of all their self-respect. Some posters here may think white history is a legacy of shame: I see that angle, but I think white people have achieved things to be proud of in science, mathematics, arts. Learning that in fact, black people invented some of those things or developed some of those other things would only demoralise a white person with incredibly low self esteem.
Basically, as you might agree, white people are in power. If a white kid can't give up some of the achievements he thought were "white things", and admit that black people are responsible, he has a problem.
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Posted: Monday May 16th, 2005 00:07 |
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Lewis:
It seems that you are already on the right path with your approach. Any person with a passion for education can teach any group of students, it just takes a little extra effort. I think in the Higher Education field it is easier because everything is based off good scholarship and research.
In terms of working with different cultures it is good to ask questions, probe their interests so that you can cater your coursework/syllabus to them and still meet your goals. Working with adults and young adults allows you to create a more engaging exchange and critical analysis of the materials. This can prove to be a learning experience for you and the class.
The course seems very interesting. One movie I would suggest is Bamboozled by Spike Lee, the movie and the DVD extras do a good job of tackling this subject. You can also look at the 1970's Blackploitation genre, Amos and Andy and Stepanfetchit films. Another useful website is: http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/news/jimcrow/menu.htm This site has a pretty thorough breakdown of the imagery in movies, print and art. It tackles cartoons as well.
The fact that you are on this Website provides a glimpse into your overall dedication. If I can think of anything else I will post it later.
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lewis
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Posted: Monday May 16th, 2005 09:04 |
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Thanks Masai. I show some of the 1970s blaxploitation movie Shaft on a course, and we discuss whether this film movement was "progressive" in foregrounding black characters and actors, or whether it was just presenting stereotypes (pimp, bad-ass detective, prostitute). I have read about Stepin Fetchit but not seen any of his movies -- to be honest, would have thought they were censored or unavailable these days. One other thing I include on a course is discussion of whether Jar Jar Binks from the Star Wars movies is a Stepin Fetchit character, as some critics have argued... whether he is "cooning", if you will excuse me using that word.
And another example from the course is movies like Boyz N The Hood and the game GTA San Andreas, discussing whether these show "positive" young black men, or reinforce gang-banger stereotypes. To me, there is not one clear answer, but I think it's important for young people of all ethnicities to think about it and question these media forms.
You're right, I haven't seen Bamboozled but that sounds like a good one for next semester, it's about Minstrel shows isn't it? There was a good movie in the early 80s, Hollywood Shuffle, that as I remember was also poking fun at/criticising black movie stereotypes.
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Saida.M
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Posted: Monday May 16th, 2005 12:05 |
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Lewis, forgive my ignorance & correct me if I am wrong, but I thought all education had to follow a set criteria in the form of say the national curriculum.
How is it that your establishment is allowed to be exempt?
I am intrigued.
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Posted: Monday May 16th, 2005 14:13 |
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Well Athaba, it does follow a curriculum and we are limited in a sense, as my university's degrees are awarded by the Open University and an American university -- we can't just teach whatever we want. External Examiners from the Open University check over all my course outlines, assignment questions and exams, to make sure they approve. Personally I am governed to an extent by my Chair of Department, who sets limits and guidelines on what I teach too. But there is a relative amount of freedom for faculty members. We are not told precisely what to teach. In fact, one of the requirements is that courses are international and intercultural.
My university is a private, fees-paying institution following an American structure, though it is based in the UK with international students, so it is out of the UK system. Actually I thought it was only schools that follow the National Curriculum, but I am out of the loop as far as UK universities go, so I don't know for sure.
Last edited on Monday May 16th, 2005 14:15 by lewis
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Posted: Monday May 16th, 2005 14:42 |
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lewis wrote: Well Athaba, it does follow a curriculum and we are limited in a sense, as my university's degrees are awarded by the Open University and an American university -- we can't just teach whatever we want. External Examiners from the Open University check over all my course outlines, assignment questions and exams, to make sure they approve. Personally I am governed to an extent by my Chair of Department, who sets limits and guidelines on what I teach too. But there is a relative amount of freedom for faculty members. We are not told precisely what to teach. In fact, one of the requirements is that courses are international and intercultural.
My university is a private, fees-paying institution following an American structure, though it is based in the UK with international students, so it is out of the UK system. Actually I thought it was only schools that follow the National Curriculum, but I am out of the loop as far as UK universities go, so I don't know for sure.
Thanks for that.
Would you tell me - was you born in the UK? Last edited on Monday May 16th, 2005 14:47 by Saida.M
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