The tragic state of Saudi youths is being put to international public scrutiny. Nearly two weeks ago, on April 23, Arab News published a devastating piece of news that had serious implications for the future of our nation. In a short article, Ms. Walaa Hawari stated that within the last two years, the United States of America deported more than 220 Saudi students who were in the country for higher education — and under government-funded scholarships provided by the Kingdom. The reason for their deportation was poor academic performance, misdemeanor, and minor crimes.
To date, there are over 30,000 Saudi young men and women studying abroad on scholarships provided by the Saudi Ministry of Education, out of which 15,000 are hosted in the US.
Several questions kept nagging at me as I read Ms. Hawari’s article. Why would the Ministry of Education provide scholarships for higher education abroad, and yet at the same time, put a ban on our children entering international schools that operate locally? After all, if the above mentioned 220 Saudi students had been exposed to a world class Saudi school system earlier on in their life — and within the comfort of their homes and the security of their country, then I doubt very much that we would be reading about their tragic destiny in such a shamefully public way. On whose shoulders does the responsibility for such consequences lie? And to what dark future will these youths be looking forward now that they have returned?
There are several shortcomings in the above scenario. Not only have we robbed these youths of their right to a relevant market-driven education that guarantees them local and international employment; we have also exposed them without preparation to serious culture and academic shock that resulted in delinquent emotional and social behavior — for which they will pay a heavy price for the rest of their lives.
These youths are your sons and mine. Their tragic destiny is the result of our shortsightedness and our failure to do what we promised them would be done. Slowly but gradually their future and the future of our children wastes away before our own eyes — and all that we are capable of doing is to talk and write and create plans to fix it, again, and again and again. In the meantime, our children suffer in silence and end up paying the price.
We all know that we have a chronic unemployment problem that has been the talk of the nation for decades now, and our history has archived that well. The subject was raised in the 1980s at the time when “Saudization” policies began taking effect; and it continues to this day — nearly thirty years later — unresolved. Almost all of the 5-Year Saudi Development plans that started in the 1970s and which are still in motion today have highlighted the need to create a relevant market-driven education system.
Last year, the 6th Saudi National Dialogue that was carried out Kingdom wide focused on methods for educational reform and in an unprecedented incident, the Ministry of Education was put on the hot seat of severe scrutiny by the Saudi public. Yet, to this day, our school system remains the same. What will it take for us to simply act?
On the website of the Ministry of Education an ambitious and inspiring vision is posted. In it we have promised our youth (both male and female) that by the year 1434 Hijra (within the next five years), we will have equipped them to become a new generation who embody Islamic values; who are knowledgeable and are competent in both theoretical as well as practical skills; who are capable of responding positively to the latest global developments; who will be able to face international competition at both the scientific and the technological levels; and who will actively contribute to the overall growth and development of the nation. Five years to go toward that promise — and all that we have so far only guarantee their failure to survive emotionally, socially, culturally and academically.
Is there nothing that we can do to guarantee that other Saudi youngsters do not fall victim to the same destiny that our 220 students in the US have fallen into? And can we do it in time? It is said that the first step toward a solution is admitting that the problem exists. We all admit that we have a serious youth development issue — and as mentioned above, our historic archives prove that. But in reality, we are still in denial. The solution will only reveal itself when all members of the Saudi society, and without discrimination, convene to put a national strategy for youth development and a clear method of how to get it done.
The process is easy and quick. It has been done before, and successfully. In fact, within a year, a plan of action is practically doable. In 2007 Al-Aghar Group for Strategic Thinking (a NGO Saudi strategic planning think tank) embarked on a mission to come out with a national plan of action that shows how the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can jump-start the process of transforming itself into a knowledge society within the next 15 years.
Around 300 Saudi citizens from all sections of society and from all parts of the Kingdom participated in these planning workshops — and the document they produced is based on their vision and experiences.
In 2008 that plan of action was delivered to relevant authorities for execution. At the core of that strategic plan was the need to reform our school system at is most basic primary level. The executive phase is already in motion.
To date, we do not have a national plan of action for developing the single most precious resource we own — our children; our youth; and our human capital.
Without this plan, the future will always be bleak, for we will never be able to live up to our promise to them that we have so proudly posted on the Education Ministry’s website. Have we failed them once again?
