Saudi parents and guardians today are constantly urged to be more attentive to their children. They are advised to monitor teenagers’ behavior and scrutinize their comings and goings to protect them from terrorists’ attempts to recruit them. According to security experts, terrorists look for young people who can be easily lured into doing errands for them, such as renting cars or residences or collecting funds. Once involved, they are snared with terrorist threats to turn them in if they fail to cooperate. Thus, the young people are trapped into becoming permanent recruits. To prevent that, we should examine the factors that lead young people down that path — idleness, boredom, frustration and ignorance. We must address our cultural and social ills and raise community awareness. We must provide proper guidance and direction to our youth and offer them hope and encouragement. Parents must make home a healthy environment that offers both love and attention.
Education begins at home, and it is our responsibility to teach our young the true values of our religion. Islam is a way of life. A true Muslim practices honesty, tolerance and modesty, appreciates the value of hard work and earns an honest living. We need to raise our children with these values so that they will become contributing members of society.
Schools, universities and academic institutions also are responsible for providing our youth with an education that meets the requirements of the job market and develops the potential of every student. Saudi researchers estimate that more than 50 percent of the work force is without a high school diploma, and college graduates make up less than 20 percent of the total population. Current public school graduates lack the mathematical, scientific and language skills necessary in the job market. English and an adequate knowledge of computers are mandatory today. They are our windows to the civilized world. Unfortunately, the majority of our graduates do not speak English, and they are also computer illiterate, which puts their average qualifications well below international standards.
There is growing concern that our Saudi youth have no respect for knowledge and no work ethic. However, it is unfair to put the blame only on them. They aren’t responsible for what they are. They are products of negligent parents and an educational system that doesn’t instill the values of time and respect for knowledge — an educational system that neither builds character nor guides them toward responsible behavior. Abdul Aziz Al-Shehri, a researcher from Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, conducted a survey recently on the problems facing Saudi youth and found that 83 percent of the students who answered the questionnaire have had long hours of leisure time that they don’t know how to fill.
He concluded in his study that more than ever, Saudi youth in the 15-20 age group need to engage themselves in useful activities to absorb their physical and mental energy. Such activities will certainly help them maintain a psychological, physical and social balance. Moreover, this would safeguard them from crossing over to the dark side of deviant behavior.
Endless hours of boredom and wasted time in emptiness are reasons enough to make them seek adventure that can divert young people from healthy lives and destroy their chances for happiness and success. This also explains why many Saudi youths are easily brainwashed by extremists who advocate terrorism. At this stage in their lives, they are not mature enough and are vulnerable to the deviants, who may exploit them and use them for criminal purposes.
Half of our population is below 20 years old, so the researcher suggests the creation of a Ministry for Youth to look after their affairs. The Ministry of Education recently started modernizing its curricula and monitoring the performance of various institutions, with special attention paid to science and vocational institutes. Almost 25 percent of the country’s general budget has been allocated to education. However, Saudi education experts and academics still hold the universities responsible for the slow and ineffective educational programs that do not keep pace with the socioeconomic changes sweeping the country. Furthermore, recommendations and the mechanism for implementing reforms to the educational system were identified in Crown Prince Abdullah’s opinion document on higher education. We need to see efficient and quick implementation. We hope and pray that bureaucratic and financial reasons will not stand in the way of much-needed educational reforms in the Kingdom.
Experts warn that a large population of idle, directionless youth could lead to dire consequences if left unchecked. Youths must be taught to appreciate jobs and work hard to develop their skills if they are to enjoy a better living. Educational institutions, the media and religious leaders must play active roles in educating and guiding youth toward a more prosperous future. Ignorance is our enemy; education is our salvation.
Educators stress the need to build and maintain strong citizenship among the youth in order to foster patriotism and national pride. Moderation and dialogue should replace fanaticism and extremism that were the dominating forces in Saudi society in recent years. The National Dialogue Center, initiated by Crown Prince Abdullah, has a large role to play in promoting a culture of constructive debate. One of the significant issues raised by young people during the fourth National Dialogue, held recently in the Eastern Province, was the problem of too much leisure time on the hands of Saudi youth. The young participants also called for the establishment of literary clubs, libraries and better facilities for sports activities to enable them to invest their days in useful and constructive ways.
In addition to that, they criticized the curricula and urged implementation of much-needed revisions. They attributed the decline of educational standards in the Kingdom to unqualified teachers and inadequate facilities. Upgrading the educational system is one of the many challenges that the Saudi leadership has to address. However, catering to the large youth segment of society, which constitutes 60 percent of the total population, and providing the guidance to protect them from extremism and fanaticism is a formidable challenge that should not be underestimated. Will these educational challenges be addressed with the required urgency? Can Saudi youth hope for a better future soon? Let us not procrastinate and miss the opportunity to protect our youth with quality education and a fulfilling environment that leaves no room for terrorist activities.
— Samar Fatany is a radio journalist. She is based in Jeddah.
