Reshaping education in the Gulf: practical knowledge is the key

Since the time of Ibn Al Haytham, education has been valued in the Arab world. This emphasis on learning continues across the region today. Currently, over 20% of all government expenditure in the Gulf is devoted to building new schools and to teaching and learning. 

PA Consulting Group believes a new focus on increasing employability skills is entirely possible without eroding the traditional values of scholarship and learning. The state, employers, teachers and students all have a role to play in bringing about this renaissance in practical learning.

The state in support of industry

By supporting a work-focused view of education and encouraging the development of transferrable skills, the state can promote the growth of a true job market where employers are able to access a pool of job-ready applicants.

Once workers possess relevant skills, the state will be able to divert funding away from welfare provision towards providing educational infrastructure, incentivising good practice and making educators more accountable. The state would engage with and not dictate to a wide range of stakeholders, encouraging industry to take the lead in developing work skills solutions.

Employers in dialogue with educators

Involving employers on school panels and as school sponsors can give them an opportunity to establish a dialogue with educators and help shape the curriculum to meet workplace needs.

Teachers developing industry insight

Linking teachers to employers by offering industry work experience can allow teachers to see what skills are required in key jobs, stay up to date on developments in the world outside the classroom and be better placed to equip their students to meet its challenges.

Students with a new perspective on work

Creating role models and developing entrepreneurial practices can open students’ eyes to new opportunities. This could include establishing ‘young entrepreneur programmes’ where students set up and run their own business for a year. In addition, private-sector apprenticeships can show young people which skills are in demand among employers and provide students with an income as they learn.

The Arab states have a real opportunity to refocus educational reforms to empower learners, teachers and employers to take responsibility for developing vital work skills. Learning and enlightenment have long been associated with the Arab world but to succeed in the modern global labour market and be effective in the workplace, young people must have and be able to apply practical knowledge.

PA understands the challenges shaping government and public service organisations in the Middle East, where we are leading the way on e-education. For example, in Qatar, PA designed, piloted and implemented a tool to help schools assess their level of e-maturity and guide them as to how to improve it in line with the overall e-education strategy.

To learn how PA can help reshape education in the Gulf contact us now.