ST. CHARLES, Missouri — Strategically located at the head of the Persian Gulf and slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey, Kuwait recently made headlines due to their education reform efforts.
Kuwait is located between Iraq and Saudi Arabia and although it gained its independence in 1961, the nation still faces many issues regarding governmental corruption. As a result of the instability of life in Kuwait, the future of the children is in constant jeopardy. As the government attempts to make reforms, there are at least four pressing problems facing education in Kuwait that are worth keeping in mind.
1. High Illiteracy Rates
In late January, Dr. Bader Al-Essa, Kuwait’s Minister of Education, spoke at a UNESCO-organized ministerial meeting on the future of education in the Arab region. Dr. Al-Essa allegedly pointed out that the illiteracy rate in Kuwait was already low, 1.07 percent among males and 5.02 among females, but he intended to bring that number down to zero.
According to the CIA World FactBook, however, Dr. Al-Essa’s numbers are questionable. Kuwait’s literacy rate for the total population in 2008 was 93.9 percent; 95 percent males and 91.8 percent females. Whether or not Dr. Al-Essa’s optimistic data is accurate, serious literacy gaps remain.
2. Pronounced Economic Inequality
Kuwait’s economy relies heavily on their natural resources. Kuwait’s GDP reached the equivalent of $170 billion in 2013, the growth rate registering at 2.3 percent. Of these numbers, a 63 percent contribution was registered for the oil sector alone.
In 2003, Kuwait’s education expenditures were an estimated 3.8 percent of GDP, ranking 116th in comparison to the world. The Kuwait Times reported that today, Kuwait spends 9.5 percent of the state budget on education. Despite an economic development plan passed by Kuwait in 2010 that pledged to spend up to $130 billion over five years to diversify the economy away from oil, the country still struggles without the balance investment and private sector participation can provide.
Dr. Shafeeq Ghabra, a political science professor at Kuwait University and the first president of the American University of Kuwait explained that while scholarships are often available, the issue of cost is upsetting for some who see other failures in the private system.
“[Kuwait’s higher educational institutions] are for-profit universities, which hinders their academic progress,” Dr. Ghabra said.
“Profit goes into investor’s pockets when it should instead be put toward improving curricula, developing infrastructure, attracting more qualified professors and supporting scientific research … Students are looking for certificates more than quality, as they need these certificates to get jobs later,” Dr. Ghabra said.
3. Inadequate Technological Resources
Microsoft Kuwait general Manager Charles Nahas and Kuwaiti Minister of Education & Minister of Higher Education signed an agreement in London in late January that aimed to use modern technology in Kuwait schools. The agreement is intended to teach Kuwaiti principals and teachers how to use the technology in education.
“The first phase will include the training of 2,000 teachers and this will increase to around 10,000 teachers according to a specific timetable,” Al-Essa said.
Dr. Al-Essa also reaffirmed that the Ministry of Education is willing to take any measures possible to develop education and that the agreement does not place any financial burdens on the ministry.
“The governments in our countries and advanced countries cannot develop education by themselves but need to use capabilities and expertise of the private sector,” Dr. Al-Essa said.
Kuwaiti MoE believes that e-education will open educational doors for Kuwaiti students allowing them to engage, explore, experiment, and express critical thinking in a new and innovative way.
4. Widespread Corruption
Dr. Al-Essa also stressed that corruption prevails in the ministry of education and that he had detected some deliberate obstacles to prevent developing Kuwait’s educational system. Furthermore, he explained that the constant change of education ministers had a negative effect on the ministry’s development plans. There are strategic projects that are designed to fight corruption first and further the development of the educational system.
All secondary schools were also instructed not to announce the results of the second semester exams for grades 10 and 11 until the relative grading system was decided upon and the grades database resumed work. This was done so that schools could issue printed certificates for students in those two grades.
– Eastin Shipman
Sources: CIA World Factbook, World Data on Education, Kuwait Times, Kuwait News Agency 1, Kuwait News Agency 2, Al-Fanar Media 1, Al-Fanar Media 2, Al-Monitor
Photo: Kuwait National English School