Jordanian School Principal Pays Visit

By RACHEL KOVAC

Ibrahim Shhab trekked across the world to arrive on Martha's
Vineyard last Wednesday as part of a Fulbright program which takes
school administrators from around the world and sends them to different
countries to learn about education.

Mr. Shhab, a middle school principal in Jordan, jumped at the chance
to observe another school system and visit the United States. For
Margaret Harris, Vineyard schools assistant superintendent for
curriculum and instruction, it was a chance for Island administrators,
teachers and students to learn about another country.

A full week was scheduled for Mr. Shhab as he visited each school on
the Vineyard and did a little sightseeing. As he was ferried to schools
that bear little resemblance to his own at home in Jordan, he marveled
at the new experience.

"I hoped to observe the education system in the United
States," Mr. Shhab said in slightly broken English on Saturday
morning, seated at the dining room table at the Harris home.
"Visiting the schools where they are teaching, students are
learning and learn how I can maybe solve the problems and challenges in
my own school," he said.

SRC="http://www.mvgazette.com/news/2005/09/27/content/ibrahim_shhab_sm.jpg"
WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="130"
ALT="Photo" BORDER="2" ALIGN="right"
VSPACE="6" HSPACE="6">

Mr. Shhab cited key differences between schools in Jordan and
schools in the United States. He spent his first two weeks in
Washington, D.C., with nine other Jordanian administrators. There they
went to seminars, met with educators and toured several schools before
being sent to school systems around the country. Mr. Shhab said everyone
told him he had all the luck for landing the chance to go to the
Vineyard.

The opportunity came about after Mrs. Harris applied to be a host
school system for the Fulbright administrator exchange program, which is
sponsored by the International Institution of the Graduate School in
conjunction with the United States Department of State. She said the
Vineyard might also have the opportunity to host educators from Brazil
later this year.

"The schools here are very interesting," Mr. Shhab said.
"The schools have lots of equipment, materials, facilities for the
purpose of learning. My schools are suffering from a lack of money. We
have no materials for facilitating the teachers. We need to [teach] the
students more and more."

Mr. Shhab said he is impressed by materials, equipment and small
class size in the schools in this country. At home he said his classes
are overcrowded, with more than 40 students in some classrooms and the
rooms are often too small for the number of students.

"This makes for some troubles with the students and
teachers," he said, though noting more of his students are quiet.
The schools do have a large curriculum. They teach Arabic, English,
math, social education, arts, music and Muslim religion. There's
never enough money to expand the arts and in his small school there is
almost no space for sports except a small open field. For Mr. Shhab this
is sad as he spent 24 years as a physical education teacher. This is his
third year as principal.

"All the jobs which I do now are very hard because I feel I
have more responsibility for all the students, all the teachers and to
help make them learn," he said. "It's very hard
work."

While Mr. Shhab is in the United States, in Jordan his school is
being run by a team of volunteer teachers. The country's education
system requires schools to have at least 300 students before having a
full-time assistant principal. Mr. Shhab's school has only 270
students, so his assistant is the Arabic teacher, who helps out from
time to time.

He has 16 teachers in three grades with eight different sections.
The school is located about five kilometers from the center of the
district of education in Irbid, in northern Jordan. Mr. Shhab spends
much of his time in Irbid trying to push the government to provide more
money for the schools.

"I try to apply for essential things," he said.
"I'm asking the government to make available more materials
for the schools. I want to encourage them to care more about the future
of the teachers and students. I want to give my students more
freedom."

Mr. Shhab said if he had more money he would be able to allow
students to experiment with a wider curriculum. For now the students sit
in the same classroom all day. All students in the country are required
to attend school until the 10th grade when they are tracked to different
schools - specialty schools based on their intended career paths.
Some students do not continue on to the 11th and 12th grades and go
straight to work.

One aspect of Jordanian schools quite different from the United
States is that women are required to wear uniforms, but men are not. Mr.
Shhab said he has learned something new each day from his visits to
Island schools. He will leave tomorrow to return to Washington for a
couple days.

For the Vineyard his visit has also been a broadening experience.

"When it came our way we said what a great opportunity for our
students to meet someone from another country," Mrs. Harris said.
"To be able to ask someone from the Middle East questions. This is
a short visit, but it is intense."

Mrs. Harris's husband Jamie said even he has learned a lot
from the visit. Mr. Shhab has been staying with the Harrises since his
arrival.

"I've learned that just being in Jordan is not as
frightening as being in the rest of the Middle East," Mr. Harris
said. "They are leaning more toward the West, encouraging tourism.
Jordan is a lot easier to be in than Israel or Palestine. It's a
more open country."

Mr. Shhab said he is taking in as much information as he can about
the schools and culture. He has met with a number of Island residents
and participated in a community reception Sunday at the Martha's
Vineyard Hebrew Center. He said it will take him weeks to process
everything he has learned.

"The Island is very quiet, very beautiful," he said.
"The persons who live on the Island are also quiet and
wonderful."