The Hidden and Forgotten Disease

There are complaints about the poor conduct of many drivers, particularly citizens, and the recurrence of their violations, which terrorize residents and road users with dangerous maneuvers. This is in addition to reckless driving and the insistence on failing to use turn signals. The Agriculture Authority complains that most of those who have obtained agricultural plots are not contributing to food security, despite their commitments. The Municipality complains about some food vendors tampering with food expiration dates. The Drug Control Administration complains about the spread of drug use, especially among youth. The Criminal Investigation Department complains about the volume of “moral” crimes committed daily. The Ministry of Social Affairs complains about the rampant corruption in the boards of directors of most cooperative societies and other public benefit associations. The Ministry of Finance complains about the increase in money laundering crimes. The Ministry of Electricity and Water, which has also filed complaints, complains about unjustified extravagance in consumption by most citizens, especially those with limited incomes. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Endowments complains about the unjustified increase in the number of offenders referred to the Public Prosecution. The Industry Authority complains about the illegal use of vouchers obtained by citizens for their activities, which have been converted into exhibitions and offices. The Ministry of Commerce complains about the phenomenon of price and trade license manipulation. The Ministry of Health complains about the extravagance in prescribing medicines and the increase in the number of unlicensed medical practitioners. The Ministry of Public Works complains about the number of unqualified engineers working with some contracting companies, the fraud committed by some in their work, and the weakness of the ministerial supervision apparatus. The Ministry of Education complains about the poor conduct of its students, the spread of smoking among them, not to mention worse issues, and everyone complains about the filth of the facilities in most schools compared to private sector schools. This is in addition to the spread of cheating among students and their and their parents’ hatred of serious or strict teachers in applying regulations and rules. All ministries, especially educational authorities, complain about the number of individuals with forged or unaccredited degrees. On the other hand, citizens complain about the amount of destruction and dishonesty that many of the aforementioned entities are drowning in, noting that those who manage them are citizens, brothers, fathers, or mothers of those outside them. The reasons for the complaints of both sides, and others, stem from several factors, the most important and serious of which is the backwardness or collapse of the educational system. Unlike destruction in other areas, the decay of education cannot be observed at the moment because it is hidden, and its catastrophic consequences only appear after many years, by which time reform becomes impossible. * * * It is great to see this attention to upgrading the level of state leaders and selecting competent personnel, and wonderful is the serious attention to maintaining roads, and superb is the uncompromising war against drug traffickers. We are grateful for all attempts to combat corruption in associations of all kinds. We are pleased with the continuous and excellent exposure of those forging state identity documents, and the beneficial acceleration in implementing development plans and revitalizing the economy... But what about education? A former physical education teacher said that one day, due to the absence of the imam, he entered the school mosque to lead the prayer and decided to take his place. One student refused, arguing that he was wearing a “suit.” The “teacher” was amazed by the student’s behavior (??!!). Days later, he entered the exam hall as an invigilator and found in the same student’s upper pocket scraps of paper prepared for cheating. He asked him to hand them over for destruction (without addressing the student’s serious violation). The student refused, claiming he had a fatwa from a religious scholar permitting him to do so. * It is clear that our educational system is rigid and will not, and cannot, advance with such a teacher and such a student. We are indeed living in two different worlds. Note: For half a century, we have failed to develop the “Kuwaiti” identity and to develop education, due to our insistence on relying on local cadres. Banks, oil, and other sectors have succeeded by avoiding this quagmire. Those responsible for developing education must understand this. Ahmed Al-Sarraf