Inquiring minds essential for young students

Not long ago a group of gifted Saudi students were rewarded with a trip to the United States. Accompanied by their teachers, they visited an American Indian reservation where the tribe staged a powwow, which is a ceremony to honor their culture with singing, dancing and feasting.
The students enjoyed the experience, but a teacher was deeply offended and said he would refuse to participate because it was un-Islamic.
It took one of the students to point out that there is no point visiting non-Muslim cultures if Saudis can’t learn from other customs and traditions and respect them. The teacher, however, was uncomfortable with out-of-the-box thinking that could broaden the horizons of his students.
I’m reminded of the incident after hearing that the Ministry of Education has decided it will expel students or place them in behavior modification programs if they are caught mocking Islam or discussing subjects that violate Islamic law. Essentially, questioning Islam is forbidden. One teacher complained that 15- to 17-year-old students have been disrespectful toward Islam and blamed globalization and a desire to emulate the West.
I have no patience for people who mock any religion, but school administrators are treading on thin ice here if they hope to silence students who have questions about their own faith.
Young teenagers, particularly in the 13- to 15-year-old range, naturally begin to question their role in life. They are asserting their independence as they prepare for adulthood. Of course, students will question the standards held by adults. That’s human nature. How is a young person to learn if not to ask questions? The Ministry of Education is forgetting the maturity level of young teenagers is low. Frankly, teachers and school administrators should be worried about students not asking questions.
The ministry has also apparently forgotten that one of the primary criticisms of Saudi education is the lack of students’ critical thinking skills. By tamping down on expression of thought, teachers also quash the natural tendency to question the status quo. This also leads to the question of whether teachers are qualified to discern what is an honest question about faith and what are inappropriate attitudes.
At the classroom level, teachers should be charged with monitoring students who express extremist thoughts. But let’s not confuse militant expressions with asking frank and direct questions about religion. Students, who demand answers about the words of the Qur’an should be provided with answers, not be shut down. Time in the classroom should be reserved for students to freely debate our religion. A basic tenant of the Qur’an is to inquire, read and seek knowledge.
The Ministry of Education knows better than this when it comes to the new generation of students, many of who can be careless and violent. Just in the past few weeks, a student stabbed to death a teacher and another assaulted an instructor with an ax. We have seen video clips of Saudi boys breaking the windshield of their teachers’ cars and reports of boys coming to school armed with knives. When one student was asked about the consequences, he simply said, “I am put in prison or sentenced to death. So what?”
Saudi education is not creative. It does not reflect the new generation of Saudi boys and girls. It’s not compatible with the education standards worldwide. Technology in our education system is not a priority. Students are expected to carry heavy books daily, yet we expect them to be creative. How disciplining students, who question authority, and, yes, their religion, will work is a mystery. I see no benefit in it.
Instead, threats of expulsion and behavior modification will only encourage the growth of an underground world where students will keep their thoughts to themselves. When they become adults, they will act out their extremist philosophy that will only harm Islam. Such discipline is also against Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s desire for open dialogue. The National Center for Dialogue created to allow discussion in our society without limits.
Without question, the ministry is establishing limits that in the long run will only serve to send the free-thinkers underground. Those young people with a thirst for knowledge and debate will not be part of the next generation of Saudis.

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