A surprising bit of news, the likes of which had never before appeared in any of our newspapers, recently caught my attention in An-Nisaiyah, a new women’s weekly magazine. Had any newspaper published the story, it would have been a genuine scoop.
The report was that the General Presidency for Girls Education is considering introducing the Open University system into the Kingdom in order to allow more women to pursue higher education.
The irony is that such a plan contrasts sharply with the suffering that female students continue to endure. As I was driving one hot day along Prince Majed Street in Jeddah - a city that suggests everyone should smile even during the worst of times — I saw an old car stopped on the side of the road. Four or five girls were standing around the car while their elderly driver was busy changing a flat tire. The girls were all students at one of the schools run by the Presidency. I briefly considered offering my help but decided against it when I realized I might end up in back of one of the mutaween’s black GMC’s.
A friend told me about a frustrated citizen who came to him seeking help for his family’s problem. The man told my friend that his wife is teaching in the southern part of the country while their two children are staying with him in Jeddah. According to the regulations of the Presidency, a female teacher is eligible to join her family after spending two years in a remote area. The man said that his wife has so far spent four years in the remote area and no transfer is in sight. The Presidency has promised to transfer her but this has not happened and will not happen without the help of some influential person: the familiar story of ‘wasta’! This story illustrates clearly that what is needed is more complex than the intervention of an important person. The issue is not only the sad story of this teacher. There are many other women in similar situations. What is needed is cooperation between the Presidency and the society at large to improve the situation. This is if the Presidency is indeed ready to accept such cooperation and if it is aware of the benefits. When is happening now is banishment rather than an educational process.
Which would be easier? An Open University or improving the conditions that female teachers work under, including the transportation they use? If the former, then we need to know more about what kind of university the Presidency plans to introduce at a time when it is faced with more pressing matters. For a start, what about its responsibility toward both students and teachers? How can we reasonably expect a teacher to fulfill her obligations toward other children if she finds herself cut off from her own? This is indeed a twisted situation. Nevertheless, the women of our country have proved their ability to endure such suffering. I pray to Almighty God to grant them patience and courage and protect them from venting their anger and impatience upon us, the men of the Kingdom who are accused of being the source of all their problems.
If we must have an Open University, why not imiplement it gradually? Why a single jump in which we aim to reach the roof when we should be moving slowly up the staircase instead? Why not coordinate between the Presidency and a relevant body which has already worked hard for more than two years to establish an open Arab university based in Kuwait with branches in other Arab countries. including the Kingdom? This project is in fact now in an advanced stage thanks to the support of UNESCO and the supervision and administration of His Royal Highness Prince Talal ibn Abdul Aziz. It has already secured the necessary licensing. Perhaps the Presidency initiated its plan in light of the tragic situation experienced by its students and teachers. It has learned one of more lessons from the issues raised by the popular TV comedy, “Tash ma Tash”, shown on national television in Ramadan.
The Open University is a higher educational institution providing the kind of education required by a country or society. It covers a very wide geographical area — and without the need for its students to travel in broken-down cars or to hire drivers who are not their guardians. This education can be extended to include rural areas in addition to urban centers. Its strength is that it is capable of reaching students wherever they are.
A flexible educational system needs dedicated professionals committed to their duty and their students, professionals who don’t busy themselves running after senior positions or favors. In this kind of education, all students — male of female — rely upon themselves. This is required of them under the very nature of the courses they receive and the support extended by their supervisors who are the driving force behind the program. It is a program whose requirements and tools can be purchased by money. And thank God, we are not short of money.
