Having lived in Saudi Arabia for over 22 years, I have had the opportunity to observe the Saudi educational system at close quarters. Six of my eight siblings have either completed their education here or are attending government schools. I believe education should give a person certain values, knowledge, skills and attitudes that help the individual go about the business of life effectively and efficiently. It is easy to overemphasize the importance of linguistic and computer skills, considering the demand for them in the job market but we must not overlook other aspects basic to the development of well-rounded personalities with correct attitudes and behavior.
Education should not be seen in isolation. It is integral to the existing social, cultural, economic, moral and political systems. The function of education should be twofold. First it should conserve and reinforce cultural values which have developed over time. Far from being ashamed and apologetic, a student should feel proud of these values. Secondly, education should eliminate certain values and attitudes that hinder the rounded development of individuals and groups. Students should be given the opportunity to choose what is beneficial from other nations and cultures — values such as hard work, professionalism, achieving excellence in one’s field and healthy competition.
One thing that worries me is the lack of sports facilities in Saudi schools. When I was a student in my home country, there were seven large playgrounds on the school campus. Each student was assigned a playground according to his age group and attendance registers were maintained. We had separate teams for soccer, hockey, basketball, volleyball, cricket and athletics. Regular inter-school and intra-school sports events were held. In addition there were social service classes on which we were graded. For two hours a week we were left in the sun, picking up stones, planting trees or weeding a potato field. This was a recognized part of the curriculum. Certain hours were allocated for visiting the school library every week. There were weekly debates and quizzes; drama and music were also taught and a school magazine was published every year by the students.
Of course all schools cannot afford seven playgrounds but the authorities should see to it that students get enough exercise. With proper exercise, obese and overweight students would become less common. Social service classes are necessary to break inhibitions about certain positions filled by expatriates and so easing the unemployment problem. Far from being an importer of human resources, we should be able to export it in future. In the library, we may have read comics but it at least gave us a taste for reading. By the time we had finished high school, most of us had read simplified versions of many English classics.
At the risk of sounding radical, I believe visits should be arranged to the villages and tribes of the Kingdom. Students should spend time learning survival skills known to people living in the desert. The idea is that the students would develop leadership skills, patience and tenacity. All this would lead to the development of a generation secure in its past and confident of its future, ready to face life with the right knowledge, skills and attitudes.