Let education be our salvation

Saudi parents today are constantly urged to be more attentive to their children. They are advised to monitor teenagers' behaviour and scrutinise their comings and goings to protect them from terrorists' attempts to recruit them.

According to security experts, terrorists look for young people who can be easily lured into doing errands for them, such as renting cars or residences or collecting funds.

Once involved, they are snared with terrorist threats to turn them in if they fail to cooperate. Thus, the young people are trapped into becoming permanent recruits.

To prevent that, we should examine the factors that lead young people down that path idleness, boredom, frustration and ignorance.

We must address our cultural and social ills and raise community awareness. We must provide proper guidance and direction to our youth and offer them hope and encouragement. Parents must make home a healthy environment that offers both love and attention.

Education begins at home, and it is our responsibility to teach our young the true values of our religion. Islam is a way of life.

A true Muslim practices honesty, tolerance and modesty, appreciates the value of hard work and earns an honest living. We need to raise our children with these values so that they will become contributing members of society.

Schools, universities and academic institutions are also responsible for providing our youth with an education that meets the requirements of the job market and develops the potential of every student.

Saudi researchers estimate that more than 50 per cent of the workforce is without a high school diploma and that college graduates make up less than 20 per cent of the total population.

Current public school graduates lack the mathematical, scientific and language skills necessary in the job market.

English and an adequate knowledge of computers are mandatory today. They are our windows to the civilised world.

Unfortunately, the majority of our graduates do not speak English, and they are also computer illiterate, which puts their average qualifications well below international standards.

Negligent parents

There is growing concern that the Saudi youth have no respect for knowledge and no work ethic. However, it is unfair to put the blame only on them.

They are products of negligent parents and an educational system that doesn't instill the values of time and respect for knowledge an educational system that neither builds character nor guides them towards responsible behaviour.

Almost 25 per cent of the country's budget has been allocated to education.

However, Saudi education experts and academics still hold the universities responsible for the slow and ineffective educational programmes that do not keep pace with the socio-economic changes sweeping the country.

Furthermore, recommendations and mechanism for implementing reforms to the educational system were identified in Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz's Opinion Document on Higher Education. We need to see a quick implementation.

Experts warn that a large population of idle, directionless youth could lead to dire consequences if left unchecked. Youths must be taught to appreciate jobs and work hard to develop their skills if they are to enjoy a better life.

Educational institutions, the media and religious leaders must play active roles in educating and guiding the youth towards a more prosperous future. Ignorance is our enemy; education is our salvation.

Educators stress the need to foster patriotism and national pride. Moderation and dialogue should replace fanaticism and extremism that were the dominating forces in Saudi society in recent years.

The National Dialogue Centre, initiated by the Crown Prince, has a large role to play in promoting a culture of constructive debate.

One of the significant issues raised by young people during the fourth National Dialogue, held recently in the Eastern Province, was the problem of too much leisure time on the hands of Saudi youth.

The young participants also called for the establishment of literary clubs, libraries and better facilities for sports activities to enable them to invest their days in a useful and constructive manner.

In addition to that they criticised the curricula and urged implementation of much-needed revisions. They attributed the decline of educational standards in the Kingdom to unqualified teachers and inadequate facilities.

However, catering to the large youth segment of society, which constitutes 60 percent of the total population, and providing the guidance to protect them from extremism and fanaticism is a formidable challenge that should not be underestimated.

Will these challenges be addressed? Can Saudi youths hope for a better future soon? Let us not procrastinate and miss the opportunity to protect our youth with quality education and a fulfilling environment that leaves no room for terrorist activities.

Samar Fatany is a radio journalist.She is based in Jeddah. This article first appeared in Arab News.