Saudi Education: Could Do A Lot Better
EMAN AL NAFJAN: There seems to be no will to change the Saudi education system. It’s in need of a major overhaul
The Tunisian Niqab Question: Dialogue is Required
LOTFI RADHOUANE CHEBIL, CGNEWS: It’s generating heated debate on Tunisian university campuses. What’s to be done?
UAE School Holiday Plan: Curriculum Mayhem
ALEXANDER MCNABB: Teachers will be torn between exasperation at having to fit so much more in and glee at getting (even) longer holidays.
‘My Heart Says Stay, My Head Says Go Home’
ROB L. WAGNER: Female students returning to Saudi Arabia from studies abroad are finding they have limited, restrictive options.
‘Rule by Whim’: More Thought Needed in Qatar
DAVID ROBERTS: The decision to impose Arabic as the official teaching language of Qatar University effective in nine months is ill-conceived and does not sit with the country’s international aspirations.
Rethinking Education To Build Real Saudi Prosperity
ABU MUHAMMED: The only thing stopping Saudi from becoming a superpower is Saudi. A nation cannot truly be great until it can educate its own.
Learning English in the Kingdom: ‘Could Do Better’
CROSSROADS ARABIA: English is vital in today’s interconnected world. The problem: in Saudi teaching it is not treated seriously.
Deadly Blaze Throws Spotlight on Saudi Girls Schools
ROB L. WAGNER: A teacher, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said there are significant differences in safety features between boys and girls schools.
Saudi Education: The Power Struggle Heats Up
ROB L. WAGNER: A new secondary school textbook highlights the struggle between liberals and conservatives within the Saudi Ministry for Education.
The Joy of Learning for Atlas Mountain Girls
DEREK WORKMAN, VIEW FROM FEZ: An initiative to provide for the education of a group of young girls in the High Atlas has had an unexpected impact.
The ‘Takfir’ Mindset: A Major Saudi Problem
CROSSROADS ARABIA: Teaching methods in the Kingdom encourage diktat of authority rather than dialogue and debate. The consequence is profound for society at large.
Education is key to creating ‘culture of peace’ in Egypt
JOSEPH MAYTON, CGNEWS: Sectarian interpretation of the country’s history is a big problem in Egyptian education. An approach that recognises and celebrates the contribution of ‘the Other’ is long overdue.
Saudi Arabia: The Merits of University for All?
CROSSROADS ARABIA: It’s not just Saudi, the US has certainly pushed the idea that without a university degree one is starting out as a failure.
Engaging Lebanese Men ‘Key’ to Women’s Advance
GHIDA ANANI & LINA ABI RAFEH, CGNEWS: A Lebanese organisation is working hard to create a world where women and men live as equal partners.
A Promise Deferred: Special Needs in Saudi
ABU MUHAMMED: As a rule, Gulf Arab countries talk big when it comes to doing something about its disabled population, but very little materializes
Why I’m Optimistic About the Future of Bahrain
STEVE ROYSTON: It’s been a very bad time in Bahrain recently but a recent programme involving all sections of the island’s youth provides hope for the future.
The Grade Factories of Education: Saudi Schools
ABU MUHAMMED: Eventually I figured out why no one seemed receptive: The first is that most government and private schools are being run for profit.
Saudi Students in Front-line of ‘Stereotype Battle’
CROSSROADS ARABIA: There are more than 40,000 Saudis studying at American universities. Each of them (bar the odd one or two) is playing a vital role in breaking down stereotypes.
The Battle to Reform Saudi Education System
CROSSROADS ARABIA: With high youth unemployment and growing population Saudi Arabia urgently needs reform.
Dismal Education System Threatens GCC Future
MISHAAL AL GERGAWI: We seem to be in a constant state of ‘re-assessment’ or ‘re-evaluation’ of education in the region. Bottom line: We’re still not delivering.
