Enseñanza & Teaching (Nov 2010)
«Desert frontiers». The devil of education: a blessing and a curse
Abstract
Observations and insight into Muslim and Gulf State Nations after years of serving as an onsite, teacher and consulting professor in education and Psychology are presented. The dramatic increase in literacy in Saudi Arabia and the problems associated with a country adjusting to this change are analyzed. The consequences of an illiterate, nomadic, tribal nation discovering colossal wealth and its influence on their traditions and economy are described. Unique insight into the struggle of newly-educated women to achieve greater freedom and opportunity in a culture known for its gender-based political ideology is offered. Gender barriers to university education and subsequent employment, and the tactics used to maintain them, are identified in some detail. The practical problems in teaching students from tribes in which truth and knowledge are secondary to desert survival through unchallenged leadership and loyalty are presented. The consequences of a government system in which there is no separation between State and religion are discussed. The importance of feminine values in a world where their absence could be devastating is explained in detail. The information contained herein can provide insight for countries changing from nomadic, tribal institutions to integrated, industrialized nations during the 21st Century.
