Good, But Not Enough: Arab students share thoughts on school programs

As the world steps into a new era of technology and advancement, schools around the globe and in the Middle East are trying to catch up.

Though significant strides have been accomplished by several regional educational institutions over the past few years, there's still so much to be done. 

We spoke to school students from across the Arab world and asked them if they feel their curriculums are preparing them for future job markets which are going to be highly >centered on entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology.

Here's what they told us: 

Fourteen-year-old Sarah is based in the UAE and has been in the same school for six years. Speaking to StepFeed, she told us that while she's getting high quality education, she still feels something's missing. 

"The world is changing, by the time I graduate I am going to need so many skills that I am not learning. I think it's important for some subjects to be let go and be replaced by ones that are a must today," she explained. 

Ahmad, a 16-year-old Egyptian high schooler, doubts school curriculums are prepping him for future work experiences.

"At school, I am forced to learn hundreds of pages by heart and it truly kills my love for education. I want to work on a startup when I get to university and honestly nothing I am learning right now can help with that. Even YouTube helps me more at times," he said. 

Noura, a Kuwait-based 16-year-old high schooler, realizes the importance of school, but questions the need of some materials she learns as she "won't even be using them in the future."

"Skills needed for future job markets are things like innovation and tech savviness and I am getting none of that. I am mostly just cramming things I'll never need later in life," she told us.

For Lara, a 12-year-old student currently studying in the UAE, she thinks her school is quite good but sees a need in the addition of new subjects that will better prep her for the future.

"Right now, we're only being given the basics and I don't think that's enough when I see what is required of my older siblings at their internships and workplaces," Lara said. 

Amjad, a 15-year-old school student based in Saudi Arabia, thinks if schools can't amend their programs, they should team up with companies that "offer students workshops or extracurricular activities to help us choose what skills we want to learn."

Thirteen-year-old Rami, on the other hand, complained about how at his school, the focus is more on good grades rather than on what students are actually getting from their education. 

"I don't feel there's much focus on helping us to develop skills or to creatively challenge ourselves. I certainly don't feel like I am being taught how to thrive in future job markets," he said. 

For Rasha, a 17-year-old Lebanese student - and despite feeling "relatively blessed" for the education she's receiving - she's "frustrated" over how much catching up she has to do outside of school. Instead of taking social studies for three hours a week, she prefers taking entrepreneurship classes. 

Sixteen-year-old Mira, just like Rasha, sees the benefits one can get from some subjects, but insists many others need to be replaced.

"The world is changing, there's no reason why our schooling is still stuck in a rut," she said. 

Seventeen-year-old Abdullah, a student at a private school in Riyadh, told StepFeed his school is preparing him "to graduate and study medicine or engineering" but fails at doing the same when it comes to innovation and being a business leader.

"Future jobs are going to need more than the skills I am being taught, so you're asking something that I have one answer for: Prepared for future job markets? Not at all," he confirmed. 

STEP Group's Dreamers is a platform dedicated to empowering children to become the innovators of the future.

Among the platform's first initiatives is a summer camp that is being held in Dubai this month. Dreamers Camp welcomes kids aged 8 to 18 years to gain hands-on knowledge about future industries and technology, space exploration, along with the foundations of entrepreneurship.

Register here and follow Dreamers on social media for regular updates, future events, and the occasional food for thought.

*Disclaimer: Dreamers is a brand owned by STEP Group, the parent company of StepFeed.