Aamynah

Basically, I’ve spent years in the Middle East—in these big, fancy British international schools—and I’ve started seeing a real problem that no one is talking about. We hire these incredible, highly qualified teachers from all over the Global South—places like Nigeria, India, and Kenya. These teachers move to the Gulf to teach a British curriculum (like the EYFS) to a room full of kids from ten different countries. Here’s where the "friction" starts: The British system we’re forced to use is very rigid. It’s all about meeting specific "Early Learning Goals" and checking boxes. but if you’re a teacher from Nigeria or India, your natural way of teaching is often much more about community, storytelling, and rhythm. You end up having to "hack" the British system just to make it human and relatable for a child who isn't actually British. But here is the "twist" for my research in Canada: A huge number of these families in the Middle East are eventually moving to Canada. They spend years being "conditioned" by this high-pressure British school system in Dubai or Doha, and then they land in Vancouver or Toronto. When they get to Canada, they hit a wall. Canadian schools (especially in BC) are the opposite of British schools—they are all about play, inquiry, and "following the child." These kids move from a "strict box" to a "fluid space," and they often lose their sense of belonging in the transition. My big idea? I want to use Art (A/r/tography) to study this. I want to look at how those Global South teachers—the ones who have already been "translating" Western education for years—use art and stories to help kids keep their heritage while moving between these different worlds. I’m arguing that Canada is "blind" to this. We treat these kids like they’re just "newcomers," but they’re actually "Global Nomads" who have been shaped by a British export that doesn't quite fit them. If I can capture the "wisdom" of those international teachers, I can help Canada build a much better "bridge" for these families. It’s not just about "teaching art"—it’s about using art to solve a global identity crisis that starts in the Middle East and ends in Canada.