Education in the Middle East is well below international standards, according to delegates at the Jeddah Economic Forum (JEF) on Monday. This was the view of a number of panelists who participated in a discussion on the topic of regional priorities. They said education systems need to be transformed to help develop Middle East economies. The morning session was moderated by Al-Arabiya presenter Turki Al-Dakhil and the discussion led by Dr. Abdullah S. Dahlan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, College of Business Administration (CBA); Dato Noor Rezan Bapoo Hashim, Special Advisor on Education at Malaysia's Khazanah Nasional; Dr. Hamad M.H. Al-Sheikh, Deputy Education Minister for Boys, Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia; and Jari Lavonen, Professor of Physics and Chemistry Education, Department of Teacher Education, University of Helsinki. Dahlan pointed out that Saudi Arabia and the Gulf lie at the heart of the Middle East, strategically placed between North Africa and South Asia, which in 2011 dominated global media headlines as the region erupted in political turmoil. “The winds of change swept across borders, leaving no country in the region unaffected. One imperative did become clear, which is that the need to build the economies of tomorrow requires an immediate focus on three priorities - education, employment and entrepreneurship,” he added. Dahlan said that improving education is an acknowledged global tool to positively impact society. In the Middle East, despite great long-term strides in literacy, the region's education today ranks below the global average. “Addressing the short and long-term methods of this crisis can have a positive impact not only on today's generation, but for generations to come.” The speakers also emphasized that primary and secondary education should be the focus of development. It will usually take six years or less, on average, for a national education system to move from one level of performance to another. Capacity-building is a pressing need. Over 6,000 schools and 163,000 teachers have to be added to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) education system over the next decade. Six interventions are needed. This includes improving the skills of teachers and management skills of principals; properly assessing students; improving data systems; revising education policies and legislation; upgrading standards and curricula; and providing proper pay for educators. Hashim said that in the short-term, the focus should be on tertiary education with education-for-employment (E4E) a priority. Tools that can be used include vocational training and education, university education and work-readiness training. “The E4E Employer survey revealed that too many university students in MENA (Middle East and North Africa) countries study education and humanities, at the expense of professional and scientific subjects. The surveys of 1,500 employers indicate that while this mix may have been appropriate historically for securing employment within the public sector, it is no longer appropriate for today's job market needs,” Hashim added. Lavonen said MENA countries lag behind their peers across standardized assessments and students are not adequately prepared for the workforce. “While there is consensus on the corrective measures, these countries face natural challenges to implement effective transformation programs. MENA countries can take heart from case examples of successful, rapid transformation programs.” According to the latest survey of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) among nine countries including Singapore, Japan, United States, Italy, Lebanon, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom came in last position after Lebanon, Bahrain, Egypt and Kuwait respectively, while Singapore came in first place followed by Japan and the United States. The panelists recommended certain policy measures to improve education. Firstly, improve teacher quality by attracting high-caliber teaching candidates through a selection process involving better salaries and professional development opportunities. Improve education and training for teachers by including more practical experience and peer coaching. Secondly, improve performance management by developing monitoring and assessment systems, to better understand students and school performance; and improve data collection management. Thirdly, introduce mandatory work experience in higher and vocational education; and have more public-private partnerships to provide training and curriculum design. __
