Implementing Language Policy - Market forces do not always help

As pressure mounts on English Language Centres (ELC's) and Preparatory Year programmes around Saudi Arabia to introduce more students, and to introduce more English classes, there is a danger that students may not be getting the standard of education they deserve.

Imagine for a moment that student numbers increase four to five fold in a year. Yes!! A year!!

Why would someone in their right mind want to do such a thing? Good question, but there is no answer, at least not on this blog.

Let's just resign ourselves to the fact that this is the reality on the ground, and that like in other countries around the world, the hegemony of English is at play again. Institutions have to implement policy and there is a hurry to do so.

A problem: If students are increased four to five times, then effectively resources need to increased too!! Just imagine, classrooms need to be increased four to five times, teachers (we are not even talking about quality here - if you are sick of your job, this might be the opportunity to jump on the bandwagon!! Do you need to know English to teach?? Well, my parrot can manage a few words - it may be within a feathers chance of being offered a job - I even hinted at my 75 year old gate keeper that he should consider taking on a part-time job even though he has rickety knees!). Further, with separate sites for boys and girls, where are all of those female teachers going to be brought in from? In Saudi Arabia, it's difficult for a female to come in without a male 'guardian'. Apart from this, there is of course the little matter of the quality of what is being taught and learnt.

Of course, this is a fantastic opportunity for someone to make a 'fast buck' as our US comrades like to say. So what am I talking about?

I'm talking about sub-contracting companies coming in to fill the 'vacuum' that's being created by this situation. In the KSA, 'reputable international' companies are trying to provide a 'full package'. They supply the staff, they supply the management and they supply the books and assessment. Effectively, they are the experts. They can even tailor the package if you don't want the full 'quarter pounder'!

So, our students (those for whom we sweat our guts out, and for whom we toil night and day so that they can get and we can deliver a decent lesson and help them come out with some kind of linguistic advantage) are being 'exposed' to sub-contracting firms.

Why should we assume that sub-contracting firms are anything to worry about? Well, the word on the ground, is that students are being exposed to books that are culturally insensitive, that the quality of teaching is far from great, and that places of learning are resembling production and assembly lines with fast turnovers, high productivity, tight margins, and big fat profits.

Any solutions rather than just moans?

Here are a couple:

1) Policy makers need to be made aware of the situation and influenced into introducing a more balanced 'English Implementation' policy. In fact, it could be argued that the disadvantage that students are placed under when resources are short or scarce, is that it could affect their future careers and in fact impede the so-called saudization process. How? Well, the Prep Years are a 'gate-keeping' mechanism. Fail the year, and promising and bright students can forget persuing careers in the highly desirable medical and engineering fields.

2) May be we should set up our own sub-contracting companies (The "If you can't beat them, join them," mentality). We become the experts as we are on the ground. Our USP (unique selling point) is that we 'really' know what we are doing and what is appropriate for the Saudi market. As people 'on the ground' we need to compete with these 'outside forces' and resist their 'business approach'. Should the dessimination of knowledge have a price, when all should have a right to it, especially in a country that despite it's huge oil revenues is in effect still developing? We would not be here to 'milk the cow', rather to help it grow. Sounds rather grand and soppy you might say, but what harm can a little sentimentality do if it can help?

3) Other - This is where you come in!!


The missing link in the current state of affairs is that the education our students deserve is in danger of not forthcoming. Is anyone really concerned about them? Or is there concern just about the bottom line?