“Gather ye knowledge from the east and west...”
A recent piece of news about students throwing away books after examinations raises some very serious questions about the general attitude to education. The attitude is a symptom of some deeper malaise. After all, why should a sensible person resort to such absurd behavior, especially when education is not a cheap commodity, even in the Kingdom? It is not unusual to find expensive books lying where they have been thrown in corridors, in halls, in classrooms and on desks. To throw away books costing hundreds of riyals is shameful; yet at the same time, can all the blame be laid on the students?
It seems all too obvious that students have a complete disregard for education and have had no pleasure in acquiring it.
They have gained nothing in terms of refining the intellect and have, instead, simply squandered valuable time and resources in the pursuit of an abstract commodity whose real gains in terms of material wealth lie too far away in the future to be of any present meaning. Certainly, a car, villa and wife make more sense than a load of ponderous books!
But those who have had positive gains from this enriching experience will think otherwise. One reason for this rather depressing state of affairs appears to be the lack of a culture which places a high value on education, not just in the long term but in the short term as well.
Examinations should not be the be-all and end-all of a year spent in school. Examinations should be a means to an end. A society which promotes thought and gives priority to intellectually oriented activities provides endless scope for its members to live life to the full. Education helps one to make positive decisions in life, to analyze problems and find solutions to them, to live constructively and to live life with a purpose. A complacent society in which ignorance is bliss will never give rise to productive and self-motivated individuals.
There appears to be a certain trend at work here. An individual is trained to think early in life, first by parents and then by the school. Children do well in the first few years of life but then something goes wrong. They become less motivated to study, more distracted, more bored and suddenly the desire to get away from it all becomes very strong. In the early years of adolescence and young adulthood, students begin to aspire to careers that will ultimately realize their dreams of comfort.
They cast round for ways to make this possible, usually by the least painful and sometimes unmerited routes such as the use of “wasta” (though this is not easily obtained). Finally, having acquired what our materialistic society considers achievement — an expensive car, a beautiful wife and a luxurious villa — there is an immediate sense of disillusionment. Since education has not helped them realize the intrinsic value of abstract things or how to make the best use of them, they soon lose interest in everything.
Frustration takes root and, finding no constructive outlet, metamorphoses into various forms ranging from petty crime to extreme acts of anti-social behavior.
Education is not just books and examinations. It should teach the art of living by endowing students with a sense of achievement for having attained some personal growth. It does not end with high school or university but should be a never-ending process. To alter Oscar Wilde’s famous quote, “Education is the beginning of a life long romance.” To take another quote, indeed man does not live by bread alone.
Earlier in this article, I hinted at promoting education as one way of dealing with some of our more serious problems. This could be done by helping students make independent choices about their lives and what they propose to do with them. There should be ample opportunity for them to explore all opportunities to see what suits them best. A wholesome curriculum which affords students a range of activities should be introduced at low cost. Not all have the ability or aptitude to pursue post-graduate studies or attain advanced degrees and besides, society does not need such a large number of these.
There should instead be other areas where they can excel, other than football. Arts and crafts should become an alternative. People with talent to share should do more volunteer work instead of working only for money.
Intellectually speaking, there should be more exposure to the world at large. Thank heavens, because of the Internet and a freer press, our youth are more aware of what is happening around them. They are in sync with the world. But there is not enough feedback from them; their views on the world situation or what, if any solutions, they might offer are never seriously solicited. Private discussions are all very well; but the art of public speaking would help young people to present their thoughts in an organized and tactful way. They would learn the art of expression without hitting raw nerves. Language would be improved and voice tones modulated. The effects of a successful speech on responsive listeners are immediately evident. Public speaking and debate are some of the most constructive forms of self-expression.
Throwing away books is just the tip of the iceberg. If young people have not enjoyed their time in school, college or university, then not enough has been done for them and, even worse, they have done little to help themselves. The results are there for all to see.
Today the government is pushing Saudization, but the papers tell a different story. Young Saudis join public and private companies, stick around for a while, and then are either asked to leave or go away of their own accord. What is the problem?
The answer lies partly in the individual and partly in the system. Since the educational system has given him little or no opportunity for self-advancement or personal growth, the individual has emerged from the institution with few, or no, life skills. Little exposure to opportunities means little stimulation for any sort of creative thinking or working in different situations. As the individual moves into adulthood, he finds himself maladjusted and incapable of coping in the workplace where there is already an established hierarchy in which the worker is answerable to the boss. Getting a job simply on the grounds that he is a Saudi does not work. Having taken too much for granted for too long does not help either. His fellow workers are usually expatriates who have made great sacrifices in order to get the comfort he has enjoyed all his life. He can’t understand why he needs to stand for all this. After all, it is his country, isn’t it? But that’s the whole point. It IS his country and that is why he needs to take care of it.
The general lack of a work ethic is a problem which took root in school, where the individual was given no real sense of responsibility or duty. The most blatant proof of this is the throwing away of books when students believe there is no further use for them.
It is this absence of work ethics which makes the average Saudi such an incompetent workman. However, to be fair, it is worth noting that there has been a change for the better which is most encouraging and bodes well for the future. Recently, more and more young people — no girls of course — are seen in malls working in restaurants and cafes, where they are getting a taste of real life. Others have been seen along Tahlia Street distributing flyers on roller skates and enjoying it! Banks which have ladies’ branches such as the Saudi-British or Saudi-American have employed smart young Saudi girls who are doing a marvelous job in a truly professional style. Perhaps all is not lost after all.
- Arab News Local 8 September 2003
