Open letter from BBS parents to the BBS School Administration with regards to the Bankee Program.

 

We would like to express our reservations and open a dialogue about the Bankee program sponsored by NBK which was implemented school wide last year, without our knowledge or approval,  and which BBS plans to implement again for the 2023-2024 school year.

 

Firstly, we would like to express gratitude to the administration for always trying to make the BBS environment and experience better, however with regards to the Bankee program we have the following objections:

 

1)    The school should not implement a completely new evaluation system, essentially changing the way the school is run, without informing and getting consent from the parents and explaining it fully.

 

2)    Bankee has become a distraction for many kids and their primary focus, meanwhile learning and grades should be the primary concern. Instead, they are often consumed with their Bankee balance and how to get it up so that they can buy rewards from the Bankee gift center, much like an amusement park. This causes a major distraction and reduces the quality of their education.

 

3)    Bankee balances are common knowledge among kids and their peers, meanwhile grades are mostly private. This causes bullying, judgement, insecurity, and is not healthy for their relationships with each other or with themselves.

 

4)    Bankee point additions and subtractions (unlike proper exams or quizzes which have clearly outlined right and wrong answers) are very subjective and depend on the teacher, the teacher’s mood, etc. Not having clear guidelines essentially sets the kids up for failure and causes confusion and therefore emotional distress.

 

 

5)    BBS in its early years operates a Reggio system, which is a distinct school of thought with regards to child development, Bankee in many ways is in complete opposite to that school of thought.

 

6)    Modern education is moving away from the rewards/ punishment system as a method for behavioral change as it has been shown to have little to no effect, and sometimes quite the opposite

 

 

7)    The program from what we understand is sponsored by NBK (a private company) and as such BBS and the students have been used for PR on both social media and in news outlets which could raise a conflict of interest, is this program for the students? Or is it more for the benefit of the bank’s PR?

 

 

Overall, we believe Bankee is a distraction from learning and not healthy for their self esteem and would like to revisit its implementation and request that parental consent is necessary for such a program which fundamentally changes the school.

 

 

 

Thank you for your time.