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Deported: Thoughts on Teaching English in Ethiopia

By Monika Wysocki

This summer I was illegally detained for 68 hours without my passport or cell phone, and then deported after only 3 ½ weeks of what was supposed to be 6 weeks worth of teaching English in Ethiopia.

Some of my fellow teachers were frustrated at the incompetence of a government that would kick out volunteers who are willing to give up their time to teach.

While it was happening, I was alternatively terrified for my life and amused by the theatrics of the Immigration Center officials, who seemed to be imitating their own vision of the ideal tough guy from a Hollywood crime blockbuster.

It was probably the most ridiculous thing I have ever been a part of, but it did force me to rethink the reason I was spending a summer in Ethiopia.

Volunteering abroad, particularly in developing countries, is a popular summer activity for college students. Humanitarian work has a good reputation among our age group—it is publicized as the ultimate manifestation of altruism, the most selfless way to spend a summer. This assumption, however, is not always correct.

 When we were questioned by Immigration officials who doubted our credentials and motives, and proceeded to accuse us of “over-knowledging” the children, it was difficult not to respond with a scathing “I am qualified to teach here because I am speaking fluent English and you are using words like ‘over-knowledging.’”

 

 

Nevertheless they had a good point. High school in Ethiopia is taught exclusively in English, so elementary school students must pass an English competence exam to be able to continue their education. The grammar and content of this exam is appalling.

As a fluent English speaker I was not able to decipher the meaning or correct answer to most of the questions, nor was I able to have an articulate conversation with any of the high school teachers that I met. Most professionals have left the country to find higher salaries in foreign countries, and those that are left have been trained to teach by repetition methods. Furthermore, teachers and parents are expected to use corporal punishment to maintain order and discipline, with the expectation that this will elicit good behavior in the future.

The question then is, why English? Why not adopt Arabic, or even the local language, as the standard for education? At least then there would be native speakers available to teach. Moreover, an English education simply enables the most highly educated individuals to leave the country and put their English skills to use by finding a better salary overseas, and contribute nothing to Ethiopia itself.

If our goal in going to Ethiopia was to educate children, we failed miserably.

We had no understanding of the educational system and the best way to contribute our time and expertise. And the most awful thing about it all is that the government in Ethiopia also has no understanding of the requirements for a successful educational system and the best way to efficiently teach students.

For one, in a country where 17 is the median age and over 46% of the population is under age 14, there is simply a lack of individuals available who could have a full time job as a teacher.

Ultimately, the problem is the lack of soul-searching among those of us who would jump at the chance to teach in Ethiopia. To be truly helpful, a volunteer has to have a clear understanding of the need that exists, and be honest about his/her ability to successfully understand and fill that need.

Can a young, idealistic Western-educated white student fulfill the needs of Ethiopian children in rural Ethiopia? In a word, no.

Monika Wysocki writes and reports for WRGW News.

Send your thoughts to wrgwletters@gmail.com

 

Vote early or vote never

How the GW College Democrat electoral system is flawed

By Jesse Regis

Voting is the corner stone of any democracy so it was surprising when the GW College Democrats, the largest organization at perhaps the most politically active school in the nation, chose their leaders in a way that prevented many from casting their ballot.

Tuesday night marked the election of the Executive Board, a well-respected body of individuals dedicated to advancing progressive issues. All paid CD members were invited to attend the election, however, full-voting rights were limited to those who arrived at 7pm and anticipated staying for the two hours predicted by event organizers. It was a format governed by a set of rules agreed to by a three-member election commission rather than the general body and is much different than most other campus organizations, including the GW College Republicans.

During the election brief speeches were made by each candidate and voting for that position was conducted immediately afterward. Those members arriving after voting was completed for that position were unable to vote. The night continued until speeches and balloting for all positions was completed.

On one hand, the election attracted dedicated members who are presumably the most interested in the prosperity of the organization. After all, decisions are made by those who show up. On the contrary, with no absentee or Internet voting options the format prevented many from voting as those who were unable to attend, or arrived after the balloting for that position was completed were unable to participate. Students on the Mt. Vernon campus were surely at a disadvantage given the Foggy Bottom location and time of night. Those with classes or other obligations, who were entitled to participate were unable to do so given the circumstances.

Perhaps the most surprising thing is that the same format was utilized last year, as well. Both events were poorly executed attempts at a caucus that prevented hundreds of paid members from casting their vote. The legitimacy of those who obtained office should not be questioned, however, the election was a debacle that should be corrected prior to the next contest.

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LETTERS IN RESPONSE

April 17, 2009

Jesse,

I read your article about the GW College Democrats recent election. As I served as an election commissioner, I took particular interest in some of your comments.

As I ran the table that verified membership I will say that only two people were turned away from the election because they were not paid members. Second, only one person decided not to enter after they arrived because they arrived after the VP race had started. While I would agree that many more people might not have been able to attend based upon the time of the election, that is true of many of the events we host. It’s unfortunate, but we’re never going to find a time that works for everyone. While having absentee ballots or online voting may solve some of those problems, it would be quite an undertaking to verify the membership status of each voter let alone verify that individuals did not cast multiple ballots. As far as I’m aware, the only organization that offers such a process is the Student Association and they only recently allowed students to vote using private computers versus computer lab computers as was previously the case.

As far as the Election Commission is concerned, we have moved from having one person oversee the entire process towards multiple people that are able to check the power of the other members when it comes to deciding upon election rules. All of the commissioners were graduating seniors as is typically the case. One of our major goals this year was to create a system of rules that would not advantage current members of the Executive Board or dissuade new candidates from running for a position. We tried to achieve this by creating a specific time period when candidates could publicly campaign. I don’t know how successful we were as only three positions were contested and one person had created a Facebook group even before elections were announced.

Having witnessed four years of elections with the organization, I can say that none of them have been perfect. Each year the organization changes the rules to try and improve upon the previous year. I imagine next year will be no different. We will be having a discussion of this year’s election at our next Executive Board meeting. If you have specific changes you would like to see be made, you’re more than welcome to e-mail them to me or the Election Commission and we will certainly discuss them.

Troy Trimmer, GW College Democrats Finance Director

WRGW continues to welcome responses from members of the public. Send your response to wrgwletters@gmail.com.