As an expatriate who recently settled in Kuwait, one of the first thing I noticed during my travels around the country was the ample spread of schools, colleges (technical & non technical) and universities. For a small country like Kuwait, it was marvellous to find so many temples of wisdom with the student crowd dotted all around its vicinity in their pursuit of knowledge. For an expatriate like me, it was an assurance that Kuwait in the coming years will be safe in the hands of its young and educated populace who will be a positive catalyst for development, peace, and democracy.
At a time when Middle East is portrayed as a volatile and violent region, countries like Kuwait are the beacons of hope for the whole wide Arab world. One of the prime factor, Kuwait has reached such enviable position is the sound educational strategy laid out by its rulers. With a limited population and ambitious plans, the option for Kuwait in the 21st century is to give importance to its human elements by providing proper preparation, orientation and care through continuous education. The two parts of the national educational strategy are: “Education for life” and “Lifelong education”
Arab states has one of the lowest adult literacy rates in the world with only about 60% of the total adult population being able to read and write. Moreover, there are considerable gender disparities in education with 51 literate women for every100 literate men. These statistics are a sharp contrast to figures in Kuwait where four-fifths of the population is literate, and the adult literacy rate reaching 83%. General education which is entirely free for native Kuwaitis is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 14. The government also provides free school meals, books, uniforms, transportation, and medical attention as an added incentive. Not bad for a country which had just 17 schools in the mid forties, this is now close to 500,000 students in various schools across Kuwait constituting approximately 30 percent of the entire population.
The impact that education has on the society is profound and the scope unimaginable. For the twenty first century, education defines what a civilised society is and is the fundamental pillar for developing a knowledge worker. In Kuwait, the present positive scenario in education would not have been possible without a real commitment from various stake holders like the government, the educational institutions and the public. The future of tomorrow’s Kuwait is currently in schools, colleges and universities. Various schools in Kuwait, particularly the private schools have done a remarkable job of providing strong and high-quality education within the reach of every one. Through the remarkable achievements of their students, these schools have proved that education is not a commodity but a holistic process through which an individual progresses and letting them think loud and out of the box. This creative partnership between the schools and the students has tremendous potential benefiting the whole society.
For Kuwait, its choice of schools and the education they offer definitely creates a difference.
At a time when Middle East is portrayed as a volatile and violent region, countries like Kuwait are the beacons of hope for the whole wide Arab world. One of the prime factor, Kuwait has reached such enviable position is the sound educational strategy laid out by its rulers. With a limited population and ambitious plans, the option for Kuwait in the 21st century is to give importance to its human elements by providing proper preparation, orientation and care through continuous education. The two parts of the national educational strategy are: “Education for life” and “Lifelong education”
Arab states has one of the lowest adult literacy rates in the world with only about 60% of the total adult population being able to read and write. Moreover, there are considerable gender disparities in education with 51 literate women for every100 literate men. These statistics are a sharp contrast to figures in Kuwait where four-fifths of the population is literate, and the adult literacy rate reaching 83%. General education which is entirely free for native Kuwaitis is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 14. The government also provides free school meals, books, uniforms, transportation, and medical attention as an added incentive. Not bad for a country which had just 17 schools in the mid forties, this is now close to 500,000 students in various schools across Kuwait constituting approximately 30 percent of the entire population.
The impact that education has on the society is profound and the scope unimaginable. For the twenty first century, education defines what a civilised society is and is the fundamental pillar for developing a knowledge worker. In Kuwait, the present positive scenario in education would not have been possible without a real commitment from various stake holders like the government, the educational institutions and the public. The future of tomorrow’s Kuwait is currently in schools, colleges and universities. Various schools in Kuwait, particularly the private schools have done a remarkable job of providing strong and high-quality education within the reach of every one. Through the remarkable achievements of their students, these schools have proved that education is not a commodity but a holistic process through which an individual progresses and letting them think loud and out of the box. This creative partnership between the schools and the students has tremendous potential benefiting the whole society.
For Kuwait, its choice of schools and the education they offer definitely creates a difference.
