An important change should be based on the strong conviction that the action is necessary if things are to improve. In addition to identifying the objectives and the means by which change is to be made, the process should be approached with a clear vision, every detail being carefully weighed to avoid mistakes, confusion and failures.
There is talk these days that the Shoura (consultative) Council has begun a comprehensive evaluation of the country’s educational system. We all believe that this should have taken place a long time ago. A system that has remained static and stagnant for years and has failed to produce people capable of meeting the day’s challenges must be changed. This is best seen by looking at the current generation which is the product of our insisting that we were moving forward though we were simply making the same mistakes over and over.
With all the complications and sensitivity of the subject, education has become part of the new post-Sept. 11 set of rules outlined by the United States for a new world.
Every aspect of our educational system needs to be revised — teacher, syllabus and administration. None are suitable. The strategy was wrong from the beginning and that is why it has failed us so dramatically and so badly.
While we appreciate the urgency and seriousness of the problem, the Shoura must nonetheless tackle it with extreme caution. What is needed is a thorough and comprehensive evaluation rather than some hasty action aimed at finishing the job in a few weeks. We have spent decades experiencing what I am talking about and regretting; there is now no need for a sudden rush.
Arab News From the Local Press 23 December 2002
