Progress wanted? Revolt required.

To be fair, revolt is only a very small part of this blog, but if you have not been able to tell thus far, I love a title that makes people want to take a closer look at the actual blog entry. There has, in fact, been some rebellion in the Middle East and North African region, which is mainly being blamed on the youth of the nation (POD anyone?), or more appropriately, youth of the region. Similar to situations in the U.S., high levels of unemployment is seemingly causing people to become a little anxious about their future. This has understandably heightened awareness in circles of higher education.

Higher education in the Middle East and North Africa has been in disarray for decades. Fortunately, educators understand that a better education system could have dramatic effects on the economy. There has simply been no standardized foundation for education in the region, ever. Curriculums are not standard, outcomes are not identified, and funding is questionable at best. Sometimes funding comes from the government, sometimes it comes from donors, and sometimes it does not come at all. Education is definitely in a transition from bad, to not so bad, and hopefully it can get to decent.

To some extent, the growth of education has been much more about quantity than quality. The number of universities increased from 174 to 469 from 1999 to 2009. In approximately the same time span, private universities grew from accounting for 10 percent of all universities to accounting for over 50 percent of all universities. There is also a large discrepancy by country, as private universities account for anywhere from 20 to 80 percent of the total of universities in any given country.

My favorite part of this article is a quote by Sheika Mozah bint Nasser. She states “We cannot afford to produce graduates who don’t fit the needs of the market anymore.” Wow! There is some food for thought for U.S. higher education.

Luckily, the thought process for the region is pointed in the right direction. Additionally, technology is being used to bolster the education system. The Virtual University, which was actually established in 2002, was created by the government and offers education free of charge. With the idea being that every young person deserves equal access to education, The Virtual University provides education through TV channels, YouTube, and DVDs. Courses are developed by top educators, and apparently provide a similar curriculum to many international universities.

I feel fortunate to live in a part of the world that has a well-developed, defined, and respected education system. There are flaws, as there are with everything, but for the most part we are getting things right. As we work through the kinks we experience in higher education, it is important to remember that others will be looking to us in the future to help them solve the same exact problems. So, as we better ourselves and our education system, we have the potential to better education, and the economy, around the globe.