cover story | where are all the qatari men?

n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 2 | qatar today

where are the yoUnG qatari men?

qatar today looks into a report that hiGhliGhts the lack of interest shown by qatari men in pUrsUinG hiGher edUcation. how shoUld the coUntry keep them motivated?
by sindhU nair

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qatar University (qU) president, sheikha abdUlla al-misnad detailed the Universitys plans for the academic year a coUple of months back. she first focUsed on its recent achievement: 4,000 new recrUits a hUGe 35.7% increase on last years fiGUres; 47% improvement in stUdent Gpa; and an increase in pUblished research. bUt what was iGnored was the UnnatUrally low nUmber of male stUdents who were reGisterinG. this year 755 more female stUdents have joined qU than male stUdents. while this phenomenon has been recorded previoUsly, this years fiGUres seem to reflect a hiGher disparity. what makes these fiGUres worrisome is another stUdy, one that points at the deplorably low percentaGe of qatari male enrolment in hiGher edUcation 28%, almost half the rate for qatari females 54%. the fact that female enrolment is hiGher than male enrolment isnt UniqUe, as its seen in most coUntries, bUt in no other coUntry is the disparity in fiGUres so conspicUoUs.

qatar today tries to Understand this eXtraordinary phenomenon.

cover story | where are all the qatari men?

facts speaks loUder The report, prepared by Sheikh Hamad bin Jabor bin Jassim Al Thani, President of Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA) was a study presented to the Board of Regents of QU. An example of the highlighted phenomenon is the fact that in 2011 there were no Qatari male graduates in the scientific disciplines of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. If students opting out of higher education at QU is a common phenomenon, then considering the fact that the institutions within Qatar Foundation (QF) are much more competitive, there should be more such instances at the QF institutions. A 21-year-old Qatari, Yafea Al-Yafei, a graduate from VCUQ, also talked about his experience during his student years. I know two Qatari males who were studying in Texas A&M Qatar, and during their sophomore year they couldnt take the pressure any more. They dropped out and went to QU to study engineering. Since you couldnt transfer the grades that they got here, they had to start from the beginning again, he says. Al-Yafei agrees that there is stress involved when it comes to studying in colleges here in Qatar (QF, to be more specific). These colleges are first-class universities, trying to keep their reputation with strict rules and academics. The problem is that most of the students come from schools in Qatar that dont prepare them for this intense experience. He says: Some students take the easy path, and absent themselves from classes and the reason for this is laziness more than anything else. They are just not prepared to handle the pressure and the high level of preparation required in these colleges. what is the reason behind this disconnect? According to the report, motivation is one of the main reasons behind this low level of participation in higher education. High absenteeism, few hours spent on homework and a lack of disci-

as an eXample of this phenomenon was the fact that in 2011, there were no qatari male GradUates in the scientific disciplines of the facUlty of arts and sciences.
sheikh hamad bin jabor bin jassim al-thani
president of qsa

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at present, job reqUirements in many Gcc coUntries are Geared towards what miGrant workers do rather than what nationals want to do. nationals will not work in the private sector as lonG as employers have more or less Unlimited access to miGrant workers and miGrant workers are paid low waGes.
professor Zafiris tZannatos
senior advisor for the arab states, ilo, beirUt

easy employment Professor Zafiris Tzannatos, Senior Advisor for the Arab States, at the International Labour Organisation in Beirut, answering to Qatar Today in a personal capacity attributes this labour market mismatch to the employment incentive regime for Qataris. The labour market strategy undertaken by the then Planning Council in the mid-2000s (now the GSDP) attributed the rather extraordinary ratio of three female students to one male at university level to the employment incentive regime for the locals. Women have few employment opportunities unless they become highly educated. On the contrary, practically all men can find employment on the basis of nationality rather than education, skills, merit and effort, he says. According to experts at Booz & Company, there are a number of factors behind the higher education dropout of Qatari males. A perceived lack of incentives to invest time in higher education, opportunities available to young Qataris especially Qatari males that may not require higher education in certain fields like public service (armed forces, police and others) or family business; lack of higher education aspirations from parents for their children, as well as the community at large not placing a high enough premium on completing tertiary education, are some important ones, says Dr Leila Hoteit, Principal with Booz & Company. Lack of adequate preparation in K-12 for university resulting in the need for at least a year of foundation study prior to admission to university is also one factor that results in drop-out, reflects George Atalla, Partner at Booz. Another factor, says Atalla, is the perception that higher education today in Qatar does not necessarily prepare adequately for the skills needed by the economy. focUs on yoUth As part of the GSDPs efforts to support the achievement of the National Vision, Qatars third National Human Development Report (NHDR) turns the spotlight on young people. With the theme of expanding the capacities of Qataris youth, the report focuses on five critical development challenges and opportunities confronting them. The second critical area that is mentioned in the report, and that connects to our story, is building knowledge and expanding education opportunities. Qatar has made large investments in education and training infrastructure for young Qataris and multiple opportunities now exist. But educational performance is not progressing at a commensurate pace, despite a decade of reforms. Stronger incentives and opportunities to retain youth in education through the tertiary level are required according to the report. Large and continued government expenditure on education in the past decades has translated into lower levels of school enrolment rates across the GCC region. According to the GCC Education Sector Report by Alpen Capital, the tertiary school gross enrolment rate in the GCC region is lower than the world average, reflecting a disconnect between the skills taught to graduates and the requirements of the labour market. The gross enrollment rate in tertiary schools or vocational training in the region is highest in Saudi Arabia at 36.8%, followed by Oman at 24.5%; Qatar comes far behind at 10%, well below the world average of 27.1%. on the job None of the concerns in the report is new to the Supreme Education Council (SEC), says Dr Aziza Al Saadi, Director of Policy
(Continued on page 45)

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pline in schools or classrooms compared to other countries are cited as reasons behind the dropout. Qatari students spend 50% less time in preparation for their classes than other students in the world, while the average rate of absenteeism is 15% in Qatar and 4% in the US (the report records). Other reasons mentioned are a mismatch in subjects taught, knowledge acquired and the entry requirements for higher education in subjects like mathematics and science. The lack of a smooth transition towards higher education, the lack of alternative routes, particularly technical education and the lack of semi-flexible courses that do not require full attendance at the university level were further reasons. Poor communication was also cited as a reason, along with the mismatch of the skills of students and the needs of the labour market in Qatar. Sheikh Hamad noted that although coordination has begun in recent years there is a need to strengthen partnerships between higher education institutions and the private sector. An absence of data on education needs is one cause for this, such data could be used to channel the energy of students in the right direction and thus fill gaps in the labour market needs.

cover story | where are all the qatari men?

technical colleGes make a mark

he College of the North Atlantic-Qatar (CNA-Q), opened in 2002, has grown in popularity and now has about 2,300 students. It is a post-secondary institution combining a Canadian curriculum and industry expertise, adapted to national needs, in health sciences, information technology, engineering technology and business studies. The Community College of Qatar (CCQ) opened in September 2010 with 300 full-time and 150 part-time students, and plans are in hand for considerable expansion. Run in partnership with Houston Community College, it offers technical and liberal arts programmes and is open to students of all ages. Both CNA-Q and CCQ attract many Qatari male students. The enrolment pattern in tertiary education among Qatari men and women differs markedly. Most Qatari men (56%) enrol in technical colleges. By contrast, far more Qatari women (81%) enrol in Qatar University, says Dr Saleh bin Mohammed Al-

Nabit, the Secretary General at GSDP. That explains why Dr Latifa Ibrahim Al Houty, one of the two individuals initially charged with the development of a concept for a technical college under the directives of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, didnt quite agree with the report as she wasnt aware of the methodology it had used. We need to understand this phenomenon before we make such statements, she maintains. Where, then are the students?, she asks. They must be in the army, as the armed forces are giving huge incentives and also training to recruits in their respective fields. All this falls into the education sector too. Since 2007, Dr. Latifa has held the position of Vice-Chair, Executive Committee, CNA-Q. She reminisces about the challenges of bringing in a new concept of education to the country. One of the challenges was bringing the Canadian faculty to Qatar in August (the hottest month here). The medium of

fact

10%

the Gross enrolment rate in tertiary schools or vocational traininG in the reGion is hiGhest in saUdi arabia, at 36.8%, followed by oman at 24.5%. qatar comes far behind at 10%, well below the world averaGe of 27.1%.

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cnaq fact file

CNA-Q opeNed iN September 2002 with 300 StudeNtS ANd 50 StAff
l ten years later, Cna-Q has an enrolment of 2,100 students and 650 staff 30+ diploma programmes are based on Canadian CurriCulum

dr latifa ibrahim al hoUty

GrAduAtioN StAtiStiCS
l l l 248 graduates in June 2012 1,937 graduates in ten years 266 teChniCian preparatory programme (tpp) CertifiCate reCipients in 2011 (levels, i, ii and iii) 1,051 tpp reCipients sinCe 2009 2,988 alumni

vice chair, eXecUtive committee, cnaq

education was English. This was also a first for the country (after VCUQ), though CNA-Q had many more students in its programmes compared to VCUQ. There was also the difficulty of starting a co-educational college, which was also a new concept in the country then. Another factor was that since this college was created to give Qataris a chance in higher education, all Qatari students were given a chance, even those who had not performed exceptionally well. Our concept was to give every student a chance. Give everyone access to education and a chance to be successful in life. We took that as a challenge and tried to make a difference by working on each student. Anyone with a minimum qualification was taken in, she says. The concept of sponsorship was also introduced by CNA-Q and Qatar Petroleum was the first company to sponsor Qatari students in the first year of start-up. Work environment was mimicked to help the students work in tandem with the industry they specialised in, she adds. All the efforts seem to have borne fruit as 97% of the students who have passed out from CNA-Q are employed and the rest are in family businesses. Of the total students in 2011-2012, 67% were nationals, 69% of them male and 31% female.

l l

StudeNtS (fAll 2012)

l total students 2,109

Analysis and Research, SEC. She says that these issues are being addressed through implementation of the Education and Training Sector Strategy 2011-2016 (ETSS), led by the SEC which contributes to the overall National Development Strategy (NDS) for the same period. Answering in particular the concern about Qatari male students opting out of higher education and the steps being taken by the SEC to handle this crisis, Dr Aziza says: The need to address the comparatively low (OECD overall) levels of enrolment in higher and further education (HE) of Qataris, particularly of Qatari males who are represented in far fewer numbers than females, is one of the priority areas of the ETSS. There is par-

ticular concern, that the students who do enter HE need to be channelled into knowledge economy-related disciplines. She agrees that one of the factors in low HE enrolment relates to student motivation, a complicated area that can only be solved to a certain extent within the education sector but is also highly influenced by entrenched social attitudes and conditions and by overall government policy. However, in addition to mounting an awareness campaign on the benefits of continuing education (to the family, society and the individuals earning and life satisfaction capacities), a number of ETSS projects under the SEC can and will contribute to improving student motivation, she says on a positive note.

cover story | where are all the qatari men?

recommendations from the report

Develop a comprehensive methodology to enhance the motivation to learn (for life) for Qatari students, especially males. Encouraging learning in Qatari students will be a major cause of their success in education and training, and will reduce the number of dropouts.

001

Establish vocational guidance service in schools including education and training options, to increase motivation of students, and reduce dropout rates. There is clear evidence that communication ensures awareness among students in middle school and secondary school of benefits of education beyond secondary/ higher education. Activate counselng, academic and career guidance, in schools to build a love of learning.

003

Increase encouragement of the disciplines and professions that support a knowledge-based economy, and take into account the opportunities available before the completion of basic education, to ensure raising students awareness of the value of education beyond high school, its benefits and educational consequences of their decisions.

005

002

Integrate media campaigns, community awareness and other efforts on a long-term basis targeting students, parents, teachers, and managers, to raise students awareness of the value of higher education and its benefits, and promote the concept of lifelong learning at the community level. Utilise all possible means in this campaign including youth forums and religion (raise awareness of the importance of science and learning in the Islamic religion and Arab heritage, in Friday sermons for example).

It is necessary to coordinate policies in education and the training sector with the main policies in the labour market and other sectors of society to enhance the motivation of learners.

004

Conduct in-depth studies on how to motivate Qatari students to seek education and training to fulfill the needs of the labour market.

006

The ETSS projects include : l Improved professional development for all education and training sector professionals l Best-in-class use of ICT l More comprehensive and accessible career and academic guidance l A national qualifications framework highlighting alternative pathways up and through the education ladder. l A national curriculum aligned with labour market and higher education needs, and addressing individual student needs l Increased exposure of students to future work environments l Improved participation of community and parents in K-12 Education Dr Saleh bin Mohammed Al-Nabit, the Secretary General at GSDP, opines that while test results of students are improving, they are still not on a par with those in international benchmark countries. The NDS includes multiple initiatives that will help to improve student performance, including for example a comprehensive communication and motivation plan that involves enhanced communication with students, parents, teachers and

principals, to raise awareness of the value of education and the consequences of education decisions, he says. He goes onto talk about an advantage that the country has which is the quality of teachers here. International comparisons suggest that teachers in Qatar are, on average, better qualified academically than the international paradigm. Just over 90% of Qatari students are taught by teachers with a university degree, compared with the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) international average of 60%. But they often lack professional teaching qualifications and this too is being addressed in the strategy, he says. technical edUcation comes to the fore To enhance the technical skills of graduates, the GCC member countries have recently been placing a strong emphasis on the development of technical education and vocational training (TEVT)Qatar has also taken initiatives in the right direction, but the figures are still not encouraging. But there has however been some legislation on this matter, according Dr Al-Nabit: Technical and vocational skills are the backbone of any economy. Qatar recognises that TEVT qualifications are essential for achieving

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007

Work to ensure that the educational system has a smooth transition for students from public education to higher education and to find alternative paths in higher education particularly technical education and flexible courses that do not require full-time attention of the university. Enhance communication between higher education institutions and public education institutions and students.

Complete the requirements for a national framework qualifications plan and begin its implementation.

009

011

Education in the kindergarten stage and secondary education are essential, and need to be included in compulsory education.

47

Enhance the possibilities of distance learning (such as the use of e-learning) and make it accessible to all Qatari citizens. Encourage universities to use distance learning to deliver their programs to citizens who do not have time for full-time study.

008

Activate partnerships with the business sector for the development of data education, continuing education and training. Find ways and means to organise the public sector and private sector in the fields of education.

010

012

Raise the professional level and educational staff education at all stages of basic education.

amonG the national development strateGy 2011-2016 initiatives cUrrently Under way are establishinG a tevt sUpervisory body, adoptinG a new model for accreditation and licensinG, finalisation of a national qUalifications framework, and establishinG a national occUpational standards and oversiGht body
dr saleh bin mohammed al-nabit
secretary General, Gsdp

cover story | where are all the qatari men?

there is particUlar concern that more stUdents who enter hiGher edUcattion need to be channelled into knowledGe economy-related disciplines
dr aZiZa al-saadi
director of policy analysis and research, sec

a skilled labour force to meet our economic diversification objectives. Among the National Development Strategy 2011-2016 initiatives are establishing a TEVT supervisory body, adopting a new model for accreditation and licensing, finalisation of a National Qualification Framework, and establishing a national

Occupational Standards and Oversight Body. Booz experts say vocational and community colleges in many countries have been very successful, offering a faster, more practice-oriented pathway to higher education credentials. In the US for example, community colleges are an integral part of the education system, serving 6.5 million students almost half of all college undergraduates. They offer numerous benefits like providing open and affordable access to postsecondary education, equipping the workforce with vital skill sets for a large number of industries, allowing students to transfer to fouryear institutions, helping high school students transition into college, they say. Despite several initiatives by governments, the quality of higher education across the region is still not at par with the standards in developed nations and some emerging economies. Professor Tzannatos says that TEVT increases the employability of job seekers, not necessarily their employment. But he says if nationals do not care about their employability in the private sector, then they will not approach TEVT with enthusiasm. At present, job requirements in many GCC countries are geared towards what migrant workers do rather than what nationals want to do. Nationals will not work in the private sector as long as employers have more or less unlimited access to migrant workers and migrant workers are paid low wages. TEVT will lead to successful employment outcomes for nationals only if productivity is high, that is, wages are high. This is not the case now, as employers can still recruit technical workers at wages prevailing in some of the poorest countries on the planet, where per capita incomes are as low as one twentieth (of what a Qatari would expect), he says. Dr Al Nabit brings to light a brighter side of the story. He says that Qatari unemployment rates were 4.1% in 2010 and 3.9% in 2011, compared with 11.6% in 2001. Currently Qatar has one of the lowest youth unemployment rates in the world, certainly among Arab countries. There are now previously undreamt-of employment opportunities for Qatars young people, especially for those with post-secondary qualifications. Our challenge is to try to get a higher proportion of them to attain tertiary qualifications rather than to leave the education system at secondary school level and then immediately enter employment, he says. Dr Al-Nabit agrees that most Qataris opt for employment in the public sector. To find an alternative to this trend, he says the NDS has proposed a programme to promote private sector participation, focusing on three areas: (i) alignment of

fact

4.1%

the qatari Unemployment rate was 4.1% in 2010 and 3.9% in 2011, compared with 11.6% in 2001.

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a perceived lack of incentives to invest time in hiGher edUcation, opportUnities available to yoUnG qataris, especially qatari males, that may not reqUire hiGher edUcation in certain fields like the pUblic service (armed forces, police and others) or family bUsiness, are some important reasons for this lack of interest in hiGher edUcation
dr leila hoteit
principal, booZ & company.

compensation (wages and allowances) between the public and private sectors; (ii) an entrepreneurship initiative; and (iii) providing economic incentives to private companies to encourage Qatari employment and campaigns to promote attitude changes in terms of meeting the needs of female Qatari employees. A Booz expert puts it in perspective: It is still early days for Qatar. There is still much to do to change the mindset about vocational and technical education. Indeed, this should start with a national strategy for vocational and technical education which would need to include awareness campaigns and a national qualifications framework (clarifying equivalencies between the various education pathways). However, individual cases of success, such as at the College of the North Atlantic Qatar, can be important in creating a positive mindset about this education pathway.

pUblic services still the hiGhest paid All of the issues that the NDS has highlighted will take time to translate into results, but the direction is strong and the intentions genuine. Yett almost in opposition to this objective in the NDS was the pay rise that Qatari government employees received at the beginning of last year, a fact no public body commented on, as would have been expected. But Professor Tzannatos gives us his interpretation: The big differences in pay and employment conditions between the public sector and the private sector induce nationals in the GCC states to choose employment in the public sector that does not require a lot of pre-employment preparation (for example, in terms of studying or skills development) or long hours and high effort, when employment in the private sector is often without other benefits, he says. Job seekers are clever and make choices in view of the available opportunities and incentives. His solution, though, is not to close the gap by reducing conditions in the public sector but to increase productivity in the private sector, which would in turn allow employers to pay higher wages instead of relying on the low wages that are typically paid to migrant workers. High wages will in turn induce nationals to invest in their education and thus break the vicious circle of low wages for migrant workers, low investment in capital intensive technologies, low productivity, again leading to low wages and thus making jobs in the private sector unattractive to nationals, he says. For this, private institutions too have to make the effort, but whether they are willing remains the question. Booz experts echo similar sentiments. With a relatively small national population, it is critical that Qatari talent finds its way to leading positions in both the public and private sectors. Today, the employee value proposition for a national is significantly more attractive in the public sector than in the private sector. To redress the balance, efforts should be spent in three directions: firstly, gradually bring closer the employee value proposition of the public sector to that of the private sector along the various dimensions that a national places a premium on: compensation, working hours and job security to allow for a more level playing field. Secondly, incentivise the private sector to offer a more attractive employee value proposition by subsidising training for nationals in private sector employment. This also makes the national more attractive to the private sector as the latter does not have to bear the full cost of developing this resource. Thirdly, public awareness campaigns to shape what matters in terms of employee value proposition. For example, enhancing in Qatari youths minds the importance of the development opportunities offered by the private sector against the pure financial benefits, says Dr Hoteit. Sheikh Hamad has proposed a 12-point programme (see box in PG 46) which outlines the way forward to combat the shortage of Qatari males in higher education. He says, I consider all 12 recommendations to be important, and they must be addressed in totality if we want to address this disturbing problem in a holistic way. However, I feel that the recommendation which aims to increase the awareness and motivation of Qatari male secondary school students to proceed eagerly to higher education is the most crucial one.
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