By Lyonel Doherty
This is the international school that the Bassos will be working in for a year. (Photos contributed)
Two Oliver educators will soon go into culture shock by teaching in Egypt for a year.
Marji and Maurizio (aka Mo) Basso are getting ready to fulfill their “bucket list” by going to northeast Africa in August.
Mo has been offered the vice-principalship of a private international school, while Marji will work as a classroom resource teacher helping special education students.
Both consider this a “leap of faith,” something they try to encourage their students to take once in awhile.
“Things that happen in life are not cut and dry, and I hope that’s what we also try to communicate to kids,” Marji said
Mo noted that life is about challenges, and this journey to Egypt will definitely be a challenge for them.
Their K-12 school is a BC curriculum facility that also has a First Nations component. The only difference is the school’s technology is a “little disadvantaged” and behind the times. For example, there is no online reporting model and their Internet is not always reliable.
Marji said it will be like taking a step back in time, which she finds refreshing because they will be doing more traditional “hands-on” projects.
“I’m looking forward to be able to take a bit of a breather and revert back to some tried but true ways of learning,” she said.
Culturally, it’s going to be a big learning curve for the Bassos.
Mo said they will be living in a male-dominated society where females are the submissive gender.
“It’s not as conservative as Saudi Arabia but there will be some cultural challenges for Marj being a woman in a country where they do perceive what you wear and how you wear it.”
For example, she will be expected to cover up and not wear anything that would offend the populace, such as a tank top or shorts, attire which is not permitted.
“They told us you don’t want to attract a lot of attention to yourself so you don’t make a lot of eye contact,” Marji said.
The Bassos will have to be careful not to hold hands or kiss in public, however, because they are considered “Westerners,” they might be able to get away with it sometimes.
“We just need to be respectful of the culture,” Marji said.
While living in Egypt, the Bassos will stick out like sore thumbs in some areas because they will clearly be foreigners. As a result, they’ll have to be wary of hustlers and scammers trying to rip them off, Mo said.
Someone advised him not to drive in Cairo because some people will jump in front of your car and fake an injury so that you will feel obligated to negotiate a payment.
The other challenge the couple will face is dealing with the behavioural issues in the school, primarily among the male students.
Marji said the boys tend to communicate very physically amongst each other when disputes arise. So she’s hoping to teach them other effective ways to resolve their problems. It’s all about reaching a good balance without rocking the boat, she pointed out.
Even though the area is impoverished, there are many affluent Egyptians who have their own nannies and drivers, she pointed out. Therefore, this kind of living can sometimes develop a sense of entitlement among the youth, which can lead to behavioural issues, she added.
Mo acknowledged that he might have his hands full as a full-time vice-principal.
He noted that some teachers have quit after one day on the job, while others lasted a month and three months. But he’s confident they can last 12 months.
“One thing I like about Marji is she says ‘If you’re going to talk about it, you either do it or stop talking about it. Why keep talking about something that you’re never going to do?’”
Marji’s biggest challenge will be building a sense of trust and rapport with the students in a short period of time.
“For me, that’s like the number one necessity in order for a classroom to be vibrant, viable and productive.”
Mo said the school in Cairo is re-instituting a more progressive discipline model because it was considered “pretty lax” and a bit chaotic before.
“I can’t go in there and make waves because there are affluent parents who are paying,” Mo said. “We want to make sure kids feel safe and understand the discipline model.” Mo stated that kids need to know there is a line somewhere. “I think kids want a line because they can test it sometimes and once they get called on it, they realize that’s as far as they can go.”
The couple will find it very interesting to observe some of the religious holidays in Egypt, such as Ramadan, a time of fasting.
Of course, the pyramids and the Red Sea will also be fascinating.
The educators are looking forward to bringing back a wealth of knowledge to their students in Oliver. For example, the Grade 6s and 7s are studying poverty and ancient civilizations, so that will be a perfect fit into the curriculum.
The Bassos have a total of 57 years of teaching experience between them and are planning to retire in 2025.
What has always driven Marji as a teacher is the diversity the job offers. For her, every day is different and, believe it or not, she is still learning from her students.
“Thinking outside the box and risk taking is what we teach the kids.”
For Mo, watching the kids challenge themselves is his reward.
“I love seeing them when they finally get what you’re trying to teach them.”
He said the students who make him the happiest are the ones who try the hardest, as opposed to the kids who have everything and don’t try.
Students mingle on school field.
A full size sports field.
An Olympic sized pool.
