What is school like for one of the characters in the novel? How is their schooling different from yours?
Up until the war grows bad and the Taliban takes over, Laila attends school that shares similar qualities as mine own. She learns about current events, like the Soviet Union and the government and the issues of her country, as well as learning general knowledge, such as math, science and geography.
One of the differences I noticed at this point, though, was that Lailas teacher, Shanzai, slapped students who misbehaved. "Behind her back, the students called her Khala Rangmaal, Auntie Painter, referring to the motion she favored when she slapped students-palm, then back of the hand, back and forth, like a painter working a brush" (Hosseini 111). It is forbidden that a teacher every physically harm a student in the United States.
When the streets become dangerous, Laila is pulled out of school and taught at home by her father, who used to be a teacher. Homeschooling is uncommon, but not unheard of, in the U.S. as well. Her father, Babi, teachers her just what she would learn in school in Afghanistan or in America; things like the "quadratic equation, showed her how to factor polynomials and plot parametric curves" (177). She also learned about poets and other works.
Before the Taliban, women were allowed into colleges like Kabul University, and Laila planned and hoped to attend. Women can go to most any college or university in the United States as well, and the standard Kabul University and others like it in Afghanistan is high and close to that of universities here.
I was surprised at the common schooling between our two countries, especially considering Afghanistan is third world and America is not. Afghanistan may not have the resources we have here or the money, and that may contribute to the literacy rate of only 28%, however they seem to make their schools work in some aspects and that is impressive to me.
No comments:
Post a Comment