Doha College Criminals
On the pages below are the details of deception, lack of conscience, indifference and lies. And how Mr. Douglas Briggs deceived my son at the beginning of his year 12, school year 2006-2007 by hiding his subject options for the school year for a month, and after another submission and another month of delays and falsely accusing my son of negligence in submitting his choices, it turned out that they have shortage in places in Math classes and a time table conflict. They offered my son to study Math with a private tutor and to sit for the exams through the British Council, and then they gave him “permission” to attend the official exams with the class.
My son’s chosen subjects were Math, Physics, Art and English, choices for an outstanding and gifted student with a long record of straight A’s. My son had to stay at Doha College because it was too late to move him to another school. The next year he repeated Math As Level, continued with English and Art A Level, but he attended year 12 Art because he could not attend year 13 art class for another timetable conflict. He pulled through and graduated with B’s in Math, English and Art and C in Physics. He was 1 grade short for A in Math. Now he is studying Art Design in Canada with A’s in all his subjects.
I was told when I contacted the supreme education council last year that they have no authority over foreign private schools, and the British embassy denied its responsibility towards the college which states in its official papers that it is sponsored by the British embassy. And because my son had to stay to continue his education at the College I decided to wait until he graduates to follow up with the complaint.
In October 2008, I reported to the public prosecution, and on the 30th of November I was called to report again at Al Sadd police station, and after some follow ups with the public prosecution I was told by the head of public prosecution that because of a fault with the number of the case at Al Sadd station I had to report again. I reported at Al Sadd station again and I was given a number for the case. After some time and follow up calls I was told in April by the head of prosecution who sent my case to the medical investigations department, that the case was reserved, he said that the case does not fall under their responsibility and that I can sue them if I want.
Two weeks ago I took all the involved papers to the Ministry of Education; I was told the ministry is finished and after the public schools are given to the private sector, they are going home. I was also told to thank God that my son is in Canada and to forget the matter, since the public prosecution could not do anything with them nobody will. I was told that westerners get away with serious crimes here while locals get punished and was advised to turn to God in prayer and leave the matter in his hands. After seeing few people there I was directed to an administrator in charge of control over private schools. I informed him of the details and gave him all the involved papers including Doha College’s written confession that a time table conflict was responsible for my son’s trouble. He called me few days later that he went to the school with the papers and met with the involved persons who denied any fault on their side and still accused my son of negligence.
After raising three outstanding children in the Emirates, Canada and in the last 12 years in Qatar, the least I can say is that Doha College in the last few years was not about education.
All the details, with Mr. Brigg’s cold blooded letter to my son of how he envisions my son’s academic future after his crime, Mr. Brooke’s letter stating that my son had to repeat his year for a time table conflict after I asked for a letter to the University to help clear the E in Math after a straight record of A’s and my son’s grades are posted below, just scroll down and skip my letter to the Ministry of Education.
My letter to the Principal in August 2007
Dear Mr. Leppard,
With regrets I write to you about my son’s disastrous year at Doha College, after 11 years of straight A’s in Math and Physics. The details of what happened will clarify the nature of the crime done to his academic and personal future. At the end of Year 11, June 2006, my son Mahmoud Bachir had handed his choices: Art, English, Physics and Math with a Psychology reserve to his form tutor. Two weeks after the beginning of his Year 12, he handed his choices again to Mr. Briggs. By the end of September, Year 12, he was denied a reply about why after more than 2 weeks of resubmitting his options and inquiring many times about the new timetable, he had not received an answer or asked to resubmit his “lost” choices again. Later he was told it was too late and the Math classes are full.
The school regulations problem regarding the number of students per class, (which was broken for other students) and the lack of responsibility of at least informing us early enough that there are not enough Math classes, or that there is a timetable conflict, ended up costing my son heavily in his academic future.
Mahmoud approached Mr. Young following Mr. Green’s advice, three weeks after the start of the school year when he was finally told that his resubmitted choices were lost and he can’t have a place in Math class. Mr. Young told him it was too late. I called the school and asked for an urgent meeting with the person in charge of this matter, I received a call late afternoon that day from Mr. Young who closed all possible doors with his replies:
We are late. There is an exam in December. A in Math translates to C. A tutor is a waste of money. Mahmoud also wants Mechanics. Classes are full. School regulations.
When I said I will still try to do what I can and ask for a meeting with the principal, he said he will talk to the people involved and the principal but he does not think that will change anything.
Following this phone call I called the office again and asked for a meeting with the principal, I talked to his secretary and explained the situation, she said she will ask Mr. Green the head of year to call me, he called but said he was busy and will try to call later, on Wednesday I called the Principal’s office again to ask for a meeting with the principal, his secretary asked if Mr. Green has called back, I said no, she said she will ask Mr. Green to call. Mr. Green called after school, and said he did not have time to get back to me, but had discussed the matter with Mr. Greetham and Mr. Young and Mrs. Fields, but it was decided that it was too late, there is an exam in December, and that classes are full. I explained again why As-level in Math in not enough, Mr. Green asked if we have considered other options and suggested we hire a private tutor, and apply to sit for Math exam this year through the British Council, but the school has nothing to do with that! When I said I will still need to see the Principal, Mr. Green said that the matter now is in the hands of the councilor Mrs. Fields, and he got me a meeting with her for the next morning. He sounded like the verdict has been taken and the Councilor’s job is to spell it. He also suggested that I bring whatever documents I have!
I still called the principal’s office to get a meeting with him, but I was told that he will be receiving soon the paper work involved, and he does not have time and that he will decide if there is a need to talk to us. At the end we met with Mrs. Woulfe in Mrs. Field’s office, and it was decided after more than two weeks of negotiations with the people involved, Mr. Green, Mr. Young, Mrs. Fields and Mrs. Woulfe, that Mahmoud is allowed to sit the Math exam, but he cannot have a place in the class!
You can check Mahmoud’s grades for year 12, after 11 years of straight A’s in Math and Physics, because he was denied his right to a seat in a Math class and to have a decent Physics teacher, who did not tell his students openly when they complained, that he does not care because he is leaving, my son asked during the year to move to Miss Taig’s class, but was told he could not. And you can see what your school has planned for him this year, Mr. Briggs wrote us a letter two days ago informing us of his recommendations which might only serve to cover up a crime I hold him and Mr. Young and the administration responsible for, Mahmoud and I met with him and Mrs. Woulfe yesterday, but it was decided that the matter is with Mr. Young now and we have to wait for his decision.
We have discussed our options for the best way out, so that my son does not have to repeat year 12, or graduate with poor choices and grades that will take him nowhere, and since my son can not apply with these grades to Canadian universities for next year, and he needs 3 A levels for Architecture, the prerequisites and his preferences to meet those requirements are three A levels, Math, Art and English. For that Mahmoud will need to resit Math in January with a tutor’s assistance, and attend year 13 Math class. Continue Art and English A levels and drop Physics, because he can’t go to Engineering anymore.
I decided to bring this disaster to your kind attention, to ask for your understanding and assistance, rather than wait till the 2nd of September for the decision of the people who caused the problem, and showed me how they can still opt for covering it up than look into my son’s best interest, who need to have a second look at what kind of change they brought to Doha College and the values they stand for as teachers.
Enclosed, please find copies of Mahmoud’s GCSE’s, year 12 grades, and Mr. Brigg’s letter.
Regards
Amal Farhat
My son’s letter to the principal on the first day of school in September 2007
Dear Mr. Leppard,
I wanted to write this letter to clarify exactly what happened, because I’ve heard that the blame seems to be falling completely on me. On the first day of school, we were given our timetables and I immediately requested a form to change my subjects. I had originally put Math, Physics, Art and English as my choices, with Psychology as a reserve but ended up having Psychology in my schedule instead of Math. At this time, I knew I wanted to go into the Arts, but being 16, I wasn’t entirely certain on what job I wanted to pursue. I thought it through for about 2 weeks and then handed in the form to my form tutor. He told me I needed to take it to the woman who re-did the timetables.
On the way out of registration I stopped by Mr. Green’s office to ask where to go. Mr. Briggs was outside Mr. Green’s office talking to other students. He asked me what I wanted, took my form, checked it and told me to follow him. When we got to her office, she and Mr. Briggs spoke for some time. I gestured that I had to get going, he nodded and I left. I was under the impression I would be notified when my new schedule was ready, which, on average took 3-4 days for other students, but 4 days later a student told me that I had to go to her to get my schedule. I went to see her but she told me it still wasn’t ready. For the next 14-16 days I stopped at her office every 2 or 3 days, like she told me, until it was the end of September. I asked her to look through the piles on her desk to see what was going on, since I had now missed a month of Math classes. She shuffled through her papers, said it wasn’t there and shrugged. I talked to two other students and asked if there might be a problem with the timetable. They checked their schedules and told me there was probably a clash. Seeing as how Math and English are core subjects, I really didn’t expect that.
At this point I was frustrated that I had missed a lot of time so I spoke to my parents and my brother, who showed me a list of prerequisites for various jobs, art related and non-art related, majority of which needed Math at A-level. This is when we spoke to Mr. Young, who thought it was too late for things to change. Then we spoke with Mr. Green about what to do next, since he had referred us to Mr. Young, but then he also said too much time was wasted already, and he referred us to Mrs. Fields. So we made appointments with Mrs. Fields. I told her about the list of pre-requisites, which I presumed she would have known about when I met with her earlier. After numerous meetings with her and Mrs. Woulfe, and another month later, they decided that my only option at this point was to take Math alone and sit the exams with the rest of the Math students and that I could see Mr. Seward Monday afternoons if need be, since the classes were a couple of students larger than the limit.
At first I did see Mr. Seward, but I was doing fine, so there was really no point to see him except for past-papers. If I had problems with questions I just asked other students since, by this point, they were 2 months ahead of me. I placed notes next to all the questions neither of us understood and went through them with my father. I went to as many revision classes as I could which I thought prepared me well, but I was still 2 months behind. I was 1 mark off a B, but I knew I could have done better. What was upsetting to me was that I was told I was falling behind in Art, and my Physics grades were going down, as well as most of my Physics class. From then on the load increased and this, obviously, affected my Math grades in the re-sit for Unit One, as well as the two new Units.
1st September 2007
Mahmoud Bachir.
12/12/2007
After the letter to the head of year Mr. Briggs, who hid Mahmoud’s options for a month last year, to cover up the timetable conflict, and because he already forced enough on the Math classes that were above limit, he did not reply and avoided my calls, but his assistant advised to talk to the principal as Mr. Briggs suggested. The principal did not reply also and after few calls, where few knew about the problem including the new education councilor, and I said I will go to the board of governors, his secretary said that he referred it back to Briggs and someone else and they are working on it.
After we told Mr. Leppard what happened, and gave him the detailed letter, and after he knew that Mahmoud will have a similar problem this year with Art, but he kept it, and told Mrs. Woulfe to tell us about the simple Art problem that she solved professionally by offering Mahmoud to sit with year 12 and study year 13. The new principal after all that said that “He screwed up”.
The first day of school Mahmoud wrote Mr. Leppard a letter, which did not find its way to him, even after I called the reception to inform them about it and to make sure they give it to him. When I called him later about the Art problem, he said they fixed it in a way where Mahmoud does not have to drop a subject! And he said he did not receive Mahmoud’s letter and asked what was it about, I said about what happened last year, and he asked that he hands it to him by hand. The next day Mahmoud did, Mr. Leppard asked him again what was it about, and Mahmoud told him. Still Mahmoud never received a reply or heard a comment from the principal, and told me that they are ignoring or avoiding him. Mr. Leppard, Mr. Briggs and Mrs. Woulfe.
12/12/2007
Hi Mr. Briggs,
My son Mahmoud Bachir, is applying for Canadian universities, I am sure you know he is repeating year 12 Math and Physics, his predicted grades are A for Both subjects, and were also A is his GCSE's.
We need a letter from the school that he was not given a place in Math class last year, and that he was not given a place this year in Art class, he is studying Art year 13, while attending year 12 class because of another time table conflict.
Your assistance in this matter is appreciated, as we will be applying to universities during the Christmas vacation.
Regards
Amal Farhat
12/12/2007
mle@dohacollege.com
Dear Mr. Leppard,
My son Mahmoud Bachir, is applying for Canadian universities, I am sure you remember that he is repeating year 12 Math and Physics, his predicted grades are A for Both subjects, and were also A is his GCSE's.
We need a letter from the school that he was not given a place in Math class last year, and studied on his own, when his chosen subjects were Math, Physics, Art and English, and that he was not given a place this year in Art class, he is studying Art year 13, while attending year 12 class because of another time table conflict.
Your assistance in this matter is highly appreciated, as that letter will explain the E and U grades that he got in Math and physics last year, and his recent predicted grades for Art, because we will be preparing the applications to universities during the Christmas vacation.
Best Regards
Amal Farhat
17/12/2007
The last day of school before the holiday, Briggs is absent, the letter he wrote is nonsense, and Mr. Leppard is avoiding my calls. I told his assistant the story, after she said he told her that they do not write letters like that, and I said they left me no other option but to go to the board of governors and the supreme education council. Before the school closed the principal’s assistant Mrs. Julia, told Mahmoud and called me saying that Mr. Brooks the councilor and Briggs will sit together and write a different letter after the holiday.
5/1/2008
Dear Mr. Brooks,
On the last day before the holidays, I was informed by the principal’s assistant Mrs. Julia, that the letter Mr. Briggs wrote will be rewritten with your assistance.
I highly appreciate your assistance in this matter, and would like to thank you for your understanding and support. Our request letter was as follows:
Dear Mr. Leppard,
My son Mahmoud Bachir, is applying for Canadian universities, I am sure you remember that he is repeating year 12 Math and Physics, his predicted grades are A for Both subjects, and were also A is his GCSE's.
We need a letter from the school that he was not given a place in Math class last year, and studied on his own, when his chosen subjects were Math, Physics, Art and English, and that he was not given a place this year in Art class, he is studying Art year 13, while attending year 12 class because of another time table conflict.
Your assistance in this matter is highly appreciated, as that letter will explain the E and U grades that he got in Math and physics last year, because we will be preparing the applications to universities during the Christmas vacation.
Regards.
Amal Farhat
Mr. Brooks took the responsibility of covering up the mess done last year by Mr. Briggs and the school, he wrote the decent attached letter.
Mr. Briggs cold and arrogant attitude went on, above his cold indifference after his crime with my son last year, he still stared rudely and he used an open bullying attitude when Mahmoud asked him to correct his predicted grades in February for the third time, Mahmoud said that Mr. Briggs knew it was the third time he asks to correct his predicted grades for his university applications, and yet Mr. Briggs changed two A’s to B’s while he was watching.
Mahmoud was getting depressed because of the school’s crime, he gained 20 kilos during that year, and after complaining of sharp stomach pain, I found out he has Hiatal hernia, at the same time I found out about another grave crime that requires a major surgery after 5 years of orthodontic treatment at Rumaila Hospital branch of Hamad so called Hospital.
Mahmoud had a record of straight A’s for many years in all his subjects, a nice social attitude with his friends and teachers. This was not a school that I dealt with. Doha College failed miserably in many ways. The way the time table conflict was covered up was a serious crime. How the head of year Mr. Briggs hid Mahmoud’s options, watched his worry as he continued to inquire about his “lost” options, for almost a month, which were hidden to cover up the timetable conflict, and avoid breaking the strict rules of the Head of Math Mr. Young regarding the limit per class which they broke for other students. After a month they cold bloodedly decided it was too late and referred my son to the counsellor Mrs. Fields to convince him that Math is not needed, and that English is more important and a major prerequisite for Canadian universities. They could not blame his choices, or cover up for a serious time table conflict and they offered him to study Math on his own saying that he is ALLOWED to sit for the exam with the class. I asked Mrs. Woulfe to make sure this does not happen next year, but it still did, and she offered him to attend year 12 Art while studying year 13. Yet another burden on Mahmoud for another year.
Education is about student’s general welfare, it is about academic, personal and social well being. Doha College has committed a grave crime against my son, who’s long record of straight A’s and his kind and cheerful attitude, were interrupted badly, when his chosen subjects are very well related; Math Physics, Art and English, are choices for an outstanding and gifted student like Mahmoud, suitable for professions for the Elite of Engineers and designers. Why should there be a conflict?
Mahmoud repeated Art and Math As Level, continued with English and Art A Level, but he attended year 12 Art because he could not attend year 13 for another timetable conflict. He pulled through and graduated with B’s in Math, English and Art with C in Physics. He was 1 grade short for A in Math. Now he is studying Art Design in Canada with A’s in all his subjects.
After raising three bright children in the Emirates, Canada and Qatar, the least I can say is that Doha College in the last few years was not about education.
Amal Farhat
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