Survey Shows Arab Youth Dissatisfied With Education Systems

Since the Arab Spring uprisings which began in 2010, much of the Arab World has been in a state of flux. Some stability is returning to the region—Tunisia is set to ratify a new constitution later this month, and Libya has begun taking steps toward drafting a new constitution of their own—but there are still enormous international problems facing the Arab World, not least among them flawed education systems across the region that are not equipping the young people who are to lead states as they transition to new governments.

A new study from the Arab Thought Foundation, located in Beirut, shows that about 46 per cent of Arab youths are unsatisfied with their country’s education system, and believe that the system is “incapable of producing quality graduates.” 97 per cent of those surveyed also cited quality education as a means of combatting unemployment, a growing problem in the Arab World, with some 40 million underemployed youth, and youth unemployment rates of 26.5 per cent, and 27.9 per cent for the Middle East and North Africa respectively.

While democratic reforms are integral to the success of the Arab Spring, nations like Tunisia, Libya, and even states that have maintained stability through the uprisings like Morocco, will have to address the issues in their education systems to produce quality graduates to lead these transitions.

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Written by Alex Leedom