‘Enhance educational development in youth’

Manama : Education is key in empowering the youth to take an active role in the development of the Arab region, experts said yesterday while presenting the findings of a United Nations(UN) sponsored report which outlined the development challenges in the region. They called for establishing a new development model which centres on investment in youth, in the Arab region.

The statements were made as UN officials presented the findings of the ‘Arab Youth Human Development Report, 2016’ to media representatives at UN House premises in Hoora yesterday.  Dr. Adel Abdullatif, Report Coordinator at the UNDP Regional Bureau of Arab States in New York presented the details via Skype. 

“Education helps the youth to be ready for the new economic model which includes plans related to social development, environmental protection and  culture. There are many areas where youth can come up with new alternate solutions,” United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) Resident Representative Amin El Sharkawi told DT News. 

The report also stated that inequality in education is an issue in the Arab region. “In the Arab region, though educational indicators have shown improvement, this has not translated into tangible gains. Inequality in educational attainment is greater in the region than in any other group of countries. In the region, poor and rich children households do not have an equal opportunity to attend school. The probability of ever attaining or even attending secondary education depends significantly on family background,” the report read.

It also stated that the state-dominated educational systems of the Arab countries have failed to ensure that students secure good results on international standardized tests.

The report also calls for Arab countries to prioritise the expansion of the frontiers of opportunity among young people. 

“Arab people are suffering from acute distress, a weakening social fabric, increasing threats to personal security and a growing sense of individual isolation. Several countries in the region are on the verge of disintegration. The underlying causes are often lack of socio-economic progress and limited participation in politics and society.” 

The Arab Human Development Report is an independent report sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), providing leading Arab scholars a platform through which to analyse the challenges and opportunities for human development in the Arab Region.