Why is everyone is playing the blame-game, trying to figure out whether the current higher-education mess is the fault of private universities or lack of government regulation and standards for them?
The simple answer is that here in Bahrain, as well as anywhere else in the Arab World, it is much easier for us to blame someone else than to fix the problem. Everyone wants part of the glory, but when the shit hits the fan, no one will claim responsibility.
I must admit, that when this situation began, I played my own part in this blame-game, sometimes blaming the Ministry of Education (MoE), but mostly blaming private universities for their greed and lack of ethical and moral standards.
I remain convinced that private universities are the ones with the most blood on their hands. However, I am also convinced that behind all this will be a positive outcome and at the end of the day, this education mess is good for Bahrain.
True, it might have damaged the reputation of Bahrain’s education system. True, it has screwed over students, both current and past, but only in the short-run.
Education reform, or any reform in Bahrain for that matter, is an evolutionary process. That is partly due to our transition from developing country to developed country, although we still have a lot of developing to do before we reach our end goal.
Be optimistic. Just like any other evolutionary process, the fit will survive and the weak will be swept away. In the end, Bahrain will have a better regulated private higher-education system with only the best of the private institutions offering over-valued degrees.
Showing posts with label Bahrain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bahrain. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Israel, Bahrain, and the 'Free Gaza' detainees
I have been hearing, in the media and through personal discussions, quite a lot about the Bahrainis detained by Israel as they tried to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Those involved are being lavished with praise and admiration in the public for their so-called ‘heroism’ and courage in facing Israel, the much despised ghoul of the Middle East. Following their prompt release and return to Bahrain, the detainees, who were on board a ‘Free Gaza’ protest ship named the Spirit of Humanity, were quick to condemn Israel and demanded that Bahrain refuse to recognize Israel as a sovereign state. Quite honestly, I am bothered by their actions and the local response to the incident. It highlights the acute lack of understanding among the Bahraini public of international relations and the Middle East crisis.
Now before you label me pro-Israeli or ‘Zionist’, a term our insolent, religiously conservative countrymen are quick to use against anyone that disagrees with them, please refrain from making a judgment until you’re done reading this post. Israel is problematic and stubborn. But wouldn’t any other state act in the same fashion if it was given a blank check by the strongest country in the world? The blockade on Gaze is criminal and inhumane. Many innocent lives were lost due to the carelessness of the Israeli Army and their lack of respect for the safety of civilians.
With that said, I wish now to proceed and address the irresponsibility of Bahrainis released from detention by Israel. Following their detention, the government of Bahrain was put between a rock and a hard place, forced to negotiate their release from a state that it does not recognize diplomatically. I do not know if Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) negotiated directly with the Israelis or through an Arab state that recognizes Israel (Egypt or Jordan). However, the detainees were handed over to a Bahraini delegation, of “official capacity” according to the Jerusalem Post, at the Ben-Gurion International Airport the day following their initial detention.
As if what they had done had not caused enough embarrassment to the state, different organizations whose sole agenda is refusal of diplomatic recognition of Israel, demanded an explanation from the government of how a Bahraini delegation ended up on the tarmac of Ben-Gurion International Airport, which they saw as Bahraini recognition of Israel, instead of asking Egypt or Jordan to collect the detainees and then have them flown back home. How dare they insult the government after MoFA’s diplomatic scramble to ensure the detainees prompt release, from a country it doesn’t have diplomatic relations with nonetheless? What’s wrong with negotiating the release of Bahraini detainees with Israel? After all the government has to perform its duty toward its citizens, wherever they may be detained.
Peace can never be achieved in the Middle East as long as we have people that refuse to sit down and carry out dialogue or negotiations. I encourage all Arab states to establish an informal, concealed channel of communication with Israel. That way they can, at least, talk about their disagreements.
Now before you label me pro-Israeli or ‘Zionist’, a term our insolent, religiously conservative countrymen are quick to use against anyone that disagrees with them, please refrain from making a judgment until you’re done reading this post. Israel is problematic and stubborn. But wouldn’t any other state act in the same fashion if it was given a blank check by the strongest country in the world? The blockade on Gaze is criminal and inhumane. Many innocent lives were lost due to the carelessness of the Israeli Army and their lack of respect for the safety of civilians.
With that said, I wish now to proceed and address the irresponsibility of Bahrainis released from detention by Israel. Following their detention, the government of Bahrain was put between a rock and a hard place, forced to negotiate their release from a state that it does not recognize diplomatically. I do not know if Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) negotiated directly with the Israelis or through an Arab state that recognizes Israel (Egypt or Jordan). However, the detainees were handed over to a Bahraini delegation, of “official capacity” according to the Jerusalem Post, at the Ben-Gurion International Airport the day following their initial detention.
As if what they had done had not caused enough embarrassment to the state, different organizations whose sole agenda is refusal of diplomatic recognition of Israel, demanded an explanation from the government of how a Bahraini delegation ended up on the tarmac of Ben-Gurion International Airport, which they saw as Bahraini recognition of Israel, instead of asking Egypt or Jordan to collect the detainees and then have them flown back home. How dare they insult the government after MoFA’s diplomatic scramble to ensure the detainees prompt release, from a country it doesn’t have diplomatic relations with nonetheless? What’s wrong with negotiating the release of Bahraini detainees with Israel? After all the government has to perform its duty toward its citizens, wherever they may be detained.
Peace can never be achieved in the Middle East as long as we have people that refuse to sit down and carry out dialogue or negotiations. I encourage all Arab states to establish an informal, concealed channel of communication with Israel. That way they can, at least, talk about their disagreements.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Hurray for post-secondary education reform!!
I’ve always felt bad for anyone that has the misfortune of being the Minister of Education (MoE). Not only must he carry the burden of ensuring that kids receive a proper education, which is a huge responsibility, but he must also attend the very boring and redundant graduation ceremonies of numerous post-secondary institutions (I can count 13 off the top of my head). Frankly, I think that it is improper for a gentlemen of that standing to have to waste his evening with something like this after putting up long hours at work, all while having to put on a stiff smile while handing degrees to kids in funny hats and loud make-up.
If you think that’s bad, imagine how awful it must be for Dr. Majid al-Nuaimi to sort out the post-secondary education mess. Since Bahrain decided to allow the creation of private universities not too long ago, they have mushroomed all across the country. Some in Manama, and some in Saar. Some built actual campuses, while some are on top of Jasmi’s! The situation was bound for disaster, since they all set-up shop without proper regulation or scrutiny. The integrity of education in Bahrain was in jeopardy, and the authorities recognized that.
Finally today, the Quality Assurance Authority for Education and Training (QAAET) released an evaluation Bahrain’s education system that showed that most post-secondary institutions performed poorly. The review used a four level evaluation, in the descending order of “outstanding”, “good”, “satisfactory”, and “poor”. None of the institutions received the highest score, while only three rated as “good”. The Higher-Education Council, headed by MoE Dr. al-Nuaimi decided to issue a series of warnings to these institutions and suspend several programs that do not satisfy its requirements. I applaud Dr. al-Nuaimi for that, but that is not adequate.
Education is not a business, and these universities behave like for-profit money grabbers. The MoE must recognize that first. Second, suspending a few programs within substandard universities won’t encourage others to outperform them. Maybe if they shut down one or two sloppy unis, those running the show will realize the importance of what is at stake. The education of Bahrain’s youth will ensure our future growth and prosperity. Let us not fill this country with inferior and second-rate degree holders, ladies & gentlemen!
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=254365
If you think that’s bad, imagine how awful it must be for Dr. Majid al-Nuaimi to sort out the post-secondary education mess. Since Bahrain decided to allow the creation of private universities not too long ago, they have mushroomed all across the country. Some in Manama, and some in Saar. Some built actual campuses, while some are on top of Jasmi’s! The situation was bound for disaster, since they all set-up shop without proper regulation or scrutiny. The integrity of education in Bahrain was in jeopardy, and the authorities recognized that.
Finally today, the Quality Assurance Authority for Education and Training (QAAET) released an evaluation Bahrain’s education system that showed that most post-secondary institutions performed poorly. The review used a four level evaluation, in the descending order of “outstanding”, “good”, “satisfactory”, and “poor”. None of the institutions received the highest score, while only three rated as “good”. The Higher-Education Council, headed by MoE Dr. al-Nuaimi decided to issue a series of warnings to these institutions and suspend several programs that do not satisfy its requirements. I applaud Dr. al-Nuaimi for that, but that is not adequate.
Education is not a business, and these universities behave like for-profit money grabbers. The MoE must recognize that first. Second, suspending a few programs within substandard universities won’t encourage others to outperform them. Maybe if they shut down one or two sloppy unis, those running the show will realize the importance of what is at stake. The education of Bahrain’s youth will ensure our future growth and prosperity. Let us not fill this country with inferior and second-rate degree holders, ladies & gentlemen!
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=254365
Monday, June 29, 2009
It's the economy, stupid!
I’ve been on hiatus for the last few days. As a newcomer to this thing called blogging, I feel that I must choose my battles wisely instead of commenting on trivial matters if I am to gain an audience. Simply put, I’ve been looking for something to get my juices going. Something that really pisses me off, depriving me of my inner peace and my naïve belief in the innate wisdom of the Bahraini people. One mustn’t look too hard for this thorny nuisance, as it makes itself visible frequently on the last page of “al-Waqt” newspaper. Yup! You’ve guessed it! I am speaking about none other than the innocent looking Ms. Lamees Daif!
Now you might ask yourself, how this cupcake of a journalist can get under your skin, Mr. Nationalist? Well its simple. Because she doesn’t know what she is taking about!! See, every few weeks, when something malfunctions around the house, a clever little Indian handyman named Francis comes around. Whether it be faulty pipes or a crack in the wall, this man gets shit done. Unfortunately, journalists in Bahrain are not as versatile as Francis, but they think they are. Just because you maintain a column in a newspaper doesn’t qualify you as an expert on all matters of life, whether economic, political or whatever, Ms. Daif.
http://www.alwaqt.com/blog_art.php?baid=11028
Before I get way ahead of myself, above is a link of the article. The essence of what Ms. Daif is trying to say is that the current global financial crisis is a load of rubbish, and private corporations and banks are simply using it as a scapegoat to fire Bahrainis, who are costly to employ, and hire cheaper foreign employees. As if that is not enough to show the reader the extent of Ms. Daif’s simple mindedness, she continues to blame the government for not stopping these PRIVATE enterprises from firing their employees.
Ms. Daif was quite right to point out that Bahrain has done pretty well considering the extent of damage this crisis has caused globally. That is all fair and good in my book! But Ms. Daif seems to refuse to accept that some blowback (in the form of job losses) is inevitable. She claims that the 237 jobs lost (237 is the number of registered complaints with the Bahraini Workers Union, according to her) are due to discriminatory hiring practices carried out by the private sector to sack Bahrainis and hire foreigners. Unless you have been living in a cave, Ms. Daif, or are completely ignorant, you must have heard about the devastating effects of the financial meltdown on other countries. The number of unemployed Americans increased from 13,724,000 to 14,511,000 this past month! If you are not quite convinced yet, let me use a regional example. Dubai, with its fancy towers rocketing up into the sky, has been rocked harder than anyone could’ve expected. People are losing their jobs left and right, and property prices are estimated to have decreased in value by %75. And you still refuse to accept that 237 can lose their jobs in Bahrain, Ms. Daif? We live in the again of globalization, you should be happy the numbers are that low.
Secondly, and I’ll keep it short this time as I feel like I’ve been too harsh on you, what do you expect the government to do? You drag them through the mud, and fail to offer a solution or a way out of this problem. Oh wait a minute, not only are you unqualified to touch on economic matters, but you are also a pathetically useless commentator on political matters as well! The private sector, as the name implies, is PRIVATLEY OWNED. Since we live in a capitalist society, the government cannot tell a company not to fire an employee unless it has a direct stake in it. Only in communist economies can the government interfere with the private enterprise. Luckily for you, Ms. Daif, we don’t live in a communist society. Otherwise, your silly little article wouldn’t be published because you won’t have freedom of speech!
Now you might ask yourself, how this cupcake of a journalist can get under your skin, Mr. Nationalist? Well its simple. Because she doesn’t know what she is taking about!! See, every few weeks, when something malfunctions around the house, a clever little Indian handyman named Francis comes around. Whether it be faulty pipes or a crack in the wall, this man gets shit done. Unfortunately, journalists in Bahrain are not as versatile as Francis, but they think they are. Just because you maintain a column in a newspaper doesn’t qualify you as an expert on all matters of life, whether economic, political or whatever, Ms. Daif.
http://www.alwaqt.com/blog_art.php?baid=11028
Before I get way ahead of myself, above is a link of the article. The essence of what Ms. Daif is trying to say is that the current global financial crisis is a load of rubbish, and private corporations and banks are simply using it as a scapegoat to fire Bahrainis, who are costly to employ, and hire cheaper foreign employees. As if that is not enough to show the reader the extent of Ms. Daif’s simple mindedness, she continues to blame the government for not stopping these PRIVATE enterprises from firing their employees.
Ms. Daif was quite right to point out that Bahrain has done pretty well considering the extent of damage this crisis has caused globally. That is all fair and good in my book! But Ms. Daif seems to refuse to accept that some blowback (in the form of job losses) is inevitable. She claims that the 237 jobs lost (237 is the number of registered complaints with the Bahraini Workers Union, according to her) are due to discriminatory hiring practices carried out by the private sector to sack Bahrainis and hire foreigners. Unless you have been living in a cave, Ms. Daif, or are completely ignorant, you must have heard about the devastating effects of the financial meltdown on other countries. The number of unemployed Americans increased from 13,724,000 to 14,511,000 this past month! If you are not quite convinced yet, let me use a regional example. Dubai, with its fancy towers rocketing up into the sky, has been rocked harder than anyone could’ve expected. People are losing their jobs left and right, and property prices are estimated to have decreased in value by %75. And you still refuse to accept that 237 can lose their jobs in Bahrain, Ms. Daif? We live in the again of globalization, you should be happy the numbers are that low.
Secondly, and I’ll keep it short this time as I feel like I’ve been too harsh on you, what do you expect the government to do? You drag them through the mud, and fail to offer a solution or a way out of this problem. Oh wait a minute, not only are you unqualified to touch on economic matters, but you are also a pathetically useless commentator on political matters as well! The private sector, as the name implies, is PRIVATLEY OWNED. Since we live in a capitalist society, the government cannot tell a company not to fire an employee unless it has a direct stake in it. Only in communist economies can the government interfere with the private enterprise. Luckily for you, Ms. Daif, we don’t live in a communist society. Otherwise, your silly little article wouldn’t be published because you won’t have freedom of speech!
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