Kim Karam

Primary school teacher, Kim Karam, has been using her experience of teaching in the UK to promote her home country of Scotland in the USA.

She was born in Pakistan and grew up in Shetland. "My mum was from Pakistan, where she worked as a nurse in a Church of Scotland missionary hospital," says Kim. "I don't remember much about it, but that was where my parents met. I lived there until I was four-years-old when my parents moved to Unst in Shetland.

"After finishing my degree at Edinburgh University, I spent four years teaching in Shetland before I went to teach in the East End of London. They had 30 pupils in a class and it was difficult teaching there, very different from teaching in Shetland. But I felt that it would be better preparation for the Visiting International Faculty Program, which organises teacher exchanges."

Apart from the differences between teaching in Shetland and London, Kim also noticed how different American education was. "I arrived in America in July 2004, and I teach at a kindergarten class at Shelton Elementary in Atlanta, Georgia.

"The kids are around five-six-years-old. The American school system is more based on testing and results. It's all standardised, and I think they focus far too much on what the tests are going to ask and so there's not much room for logical thinking and debate. It really comes at the detriment of creativity and expression. There is not much time for art, music or drama and there's also no time for Christmas shows as well. There's no time because that's testing time," says Kim.

Kim does not only prefer the Scottish education system, she also misses certain things about Scotland. "In Georgia there are no old buildings and sculptures, no history, no old man who has lived there for 50 years who could tell you stories," she mentions. "It's very different – I miss Scotland; its history and old things as well as the people."

She also remarked on the cultural difference. "Everyone drives huge cars. They have money and so they want to spend it. But in Britain we think more of the environment, our health and we walk more.

"In most UK cities, we complain about public transport, but there are no buses in Georgia. You have to drive if you live here.

"The health care isn't free too. I had conjunctivitis in my eye and had to pay $200 to get it sorted. Whereas in Britain, you just go to the doctors and it will cost you under £7."

But during Kim's time in Atlanta, she has enjoyed teaching children about Scotland. "The Scotland Club ran once a week and there were 40 kids in each group. We covered topics like Loch Ness; Peter Pan; Bonfire Night and tartan, which they call 'plaid' here, and they all learnt Scottish dancing," she says. "We also designed modern fashion made from tartan.

"We also explored things they don't have in America, like Christmas pudding and crackers! It was a lot of work!"

It's not just the children who like Scotland; Scottish events are popular in general as well. Kim says, "The Atlanta Scottish Highland Games take place every year. They are crazy about Scotland here! There are people who come dressed up as a Highland cow, contests like sheepdog trials, bagpipe music, but no-one has a Scottish accent; it’s very surreal!"

She also went to Tartan Week last year. "The celebrations are big in New York. There were posters everywhere. It was my mum's birthday and celebrities like Sean Connery were there. There was a display of famous kilts and one that Samuel L Jackson wore in a movie was on display as well. There were parades and a pipe band and hundreds of people cheer them along. Americans love anything to do with Scotland," says Kim.

Although Kim feels welcome in America, there are things from home that she misses. She says, "It's good to travel but you learn that there's no place like home. I am thinking about teaching in New Zealand next, but I don't feel I've left Scotland; I feel I am promoting Scotland. My mum is coming to visit in three weeks and I've asked her to bring me digestive biscuits, Weetabix, vegetarian stock cubes and teabags!

"I feel I'm doing a good job in promoting Scotland. I think us Scots get around; it's interesting how most people know someone from Scotland although no-one is from Scotland here.

"Being in America is a great experience, but I miss Scotland. There is something about Scotland that is very special."

Related links

• Visiting International Faculty Programme