What makes a good school

A brief remark about the education of middle school boys in the Middle East

We need to pay special attention to the way we deal with middle school boys as they are need a lot of care if we are to succeed in preparing them for a successful future.  In the Middle Eastern cultures boys are granted high status based on their gender.  Teenage boys especially, would be in a delicate state of ‘imbalance’ as they try to feel their way in society and learn how to face the challenges of social status, success and self-esteem.  There are compartments of boys’ brains that are not fully-grown by that age.  They are not yet ready for making wise decisions regarding outcomes of their behavior and risk taking.  Moreover, some hormones become more abundant in their bodies interfering with their decision making and hindering their insight.  Hence, the prevailing cultural approach of giving them higher status than their sisters, and in some cultures even higher than their mothers, does not help.  While boys need to learn the habit of respecting others, the prevailing culture pushes them in another direction as they are called ‘man of the house‘, starting from a very early age.  Manhood to those young boys implies oppressing others, defiance and rebellion, rather than believing in equality, and practising wisdom, cooperation and responsibility.  Boys respond well only if you are serious, clear, firm, and caring simultaneously.  They also need continuous reassurance.