Secondary school is a turning point for students and a key part of the process of nurturing specialists whom the nation needs to realise its ambitious developmental goals and meet the requirements of the labour market.
This is not a matter of profit or loss, as in commerce. Shortcomings in preparing students for future challenges will inevitably affect production and sustainable development in future.
It will particularly have an impact on the ‘knowledge economy’ as it has been stated in our national charter.
But it has been rather a phenomenon that many Qatari students in higher schools are not joining the (science stream) which leads to the scientific specializations, which are vital for the economic development. This include student with outstanding performances in math, science and information technology while they are middle school level, although they prefer art stream and social studies rather than science stream. Consequently, they pursue these social studies in college. Over time, graduates of arts become outnumber those of science, creating imbalance in needs, where scientific specializations become rather rare, there lies the need to bridge the gap in that vital sector.
Research and in-depth studies shows a widening gap as many citizens stay away from science in their secondary education. Experts raised this issue in the 5th Education Forum, which wrapped up on Wednesday. They assured that the nation needs as many as 151,000 graduates of engineering, math and physics.
Certainly, that does not underestimate the need for other majors, but the idea is that these fields has adequate graduates. Thanks to God, many of our sons and daughters have excelled in human studies.
There should be a balance as we face a national challenge to cover our present shortage of scientific specializations, which are the foundation of progress, production and modern industries.
Moreover, it is the only way that could make us compete with other nations and achieve industrial and economic development, which we all seek with God’s help and with the planning and continued support of our leaders.
This is a crucial national issue that makes it necessary for us to analyze this educational phenomenon in a bid to reach effective solutions. From field experience and an analysis of our education on the ground, I conclude the causes for this imbalance as follows:
• Parents have little awareness of the importance of scientific majors.
• There are too many subjects in the beginning of secondary school (the first year), discouraging students to study science hard.
• Students have little interest in science, preferring literature. It is commonly thought that memorization is easier than conception.
• Many of our secondary school students have low ambitions, seeking only to pass exams and get a certificate regardless of excellence or desired majors.
• Students have become accustomed to filling their heads with information. Exams have also become a measure of memorization.
• Some resident teachers discourage students to study science, telling them that it is easier to land a job through social studies. Meanwhile, those very same teachers persuade their own children to choose scientific majors, driving them to get high marks.
• Luxury and state-of-the-art gadgets have a negative impact on the stamina of the students. Some students even quit the science division in the secondary school.
• Some Qatari students mock their counterparts who take science due to a widespread belief that scientific majors concern only non-nationals.
• Favoritism makes it hard for brilliant science graduates to get prestigious jobs. Unqualified graduates may get military courses abroad or prestigious posts due to favoritism.
• Low qualifications and the poor standards of the teachers. The teaching methods are based on theories, which bore students, rather than experiments and applications.
This is a diagnosis of the situation in our nation, where most students keep away from the science division in the secondary school. Our nation is one of the world’s top countries where students of humanities in the secondary school exceed by far their fellows in the science section.
This imbalance negatively affects future planning, development, economic liberalization and national industries. From what we have exposed, the solutions will be both educational and social. May God lead us to the right way!
