Critical Analysis of Vocational Education Training - Report Example

Introduction Saudi Arabia is one of the nations that have incorporated vocational education training into its education system. The vocational education training is based on equipping learners with practical skills that can enable them to generate income for supporting their livelihoods. All the stakeholders in the Saudi Arabian kingdom are striving to ensure improved living standards among the people therein. This is through ensuring that citizens are equipped with pragmatic skills. Vocational education training is therefore geared towards improving the economic parameters of Saudi Arabia. This paper firstly outlines the education system in Saudi Arabia and explains how it is organised. The educational issue is then contextualised through a discussion of the economic, political and social aspects that the Saudi Arabian kingdom is responding to and how this shapes the educational issues. The paper then provides a critical analysis of vocational education training in the nation. Finally, it discusses how the current vocational education issue impacts on my teaching practice. The Saudi Arabian education system Analysis of the education system in Saudi Arabia shows that the curriculum is highly based on the Sharia laws that are Islamic in nature. The Quran therefore prevails in the education system. There are three main bodies that handle the education system within the nation (Bashshur, 2004). These are the Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and General Organisation for Vocational Training. It is essential to note that the education system in Saudi Arabia can be divided into two broad categories, namely general education and higher education. General education lasts for approximately twelve years, while higher education takes four to six years. Children have to go through various stages, such as kindergarten when they are between three to five years old and intermediate classes. This is commonly referred to as pre-primary education (Theilheimer and Cahill, 2004). After the pre-primary stage, children then enrol in primary education. During this time, they are usually six years old and this stage takes six years. A national examination is completed in grade six where students are given the elementary education certificate (Brodhead, 2000). According to Brodhead (2000), one has to pass the grade six examinations in order to proceed on to intermediate education. This stage takes three years after which students proceed on to secondary education. Students take three years to finish their secondary education, after which they then pursue further studies by enrolling in higher education. This usually takes four years when students take up social sciences and humanities. However, those who choose to pursue pharmacy, medicine and engineering take five to six years. It is imperative to note that after intermediate education, there are usually two options for the students to take in pursuant of education. There is the specialised secondary education and general education. In his case, students go to secondary institutes that are technical in nature. (Gerd, 2006). These in essence provide vocational and technical education in various fields which include agriculture, commerce and industry. This training usually takes approximately three years Vocational education in Saudi Arabia is divided into three major categories; that is, higher vocational and technical institutes, intermediate institutes and junior colleges. These institutions offer courses both during the day and in the evenings. Various benefits are provided to students who enrol in these vocational training programs which include loans to start up a business that they desire (Gerd, 2006). Current issues in vocational education in Saudi Arabia Vocational education is known to be one of the most important sectors in the education system in Saudi Arabia. Various steps have been taken by stakeholders in Saudi Arabia to ensure that vocational education is highly effective. One of these entails upgrading vocational education in order to improve skills at the workplace and increase productivity within the nation. It prepares learners to work in agricultural, industrial and commercial fields as well as printing, diesel mechanics, television repair, carpentry, welding, auto body repair, plumbing and office machine repair, among others. This aspect has also played a great role in the nation keeping abreast with changes that are technological in nature (Gerd, 2006). Further plans entail the use of audio visuals in training of students taking up vocational education courses (Thursfield & Holden, 2004). Through this upgrading, high living standards among Saudi Arabian citizens are easily maintained. This also helps in enhancing social stability and maintaining a value system that is Islamic in nature which is held in high esteem. One of the bodies that deal with vocational education in the nation is the General Organisation for Technical Education and Vocational Training (GOTEVT). This body ensures that training programs are centralised and can be accessed by all. It also consolidates and organizes training programs such that they work in line with the Kingdom’s rules and regulations. The GOTEVT has diverse goals that help in the overall achievement of the Kingdom’s vision as far as vocational education is concerned. This includes discouraging people from migrating to the cities to seek for vocational training, which has resulted in many vocational training centres being started in diverse regions in Saudi Arabia (Wheelahan, 2008). Wheelahan, (2008), asserts that another goal is the overall emphasis of vocational work’s contribution towards the general development of the nation. There is also continuous upgrading of knowledge among the vocational education fraternity. The GOTEVT ensures that students learn a trade until they achieve their highest possible level. There is also the provision of a broad spectrum of scientific knowledge so that workers can easily adapt to technological changes. Moreover, its goal is to ensure that students are grounded in Islamic knowledge so that they can have enviable moral standards in the society The Saudi Arabian kingdom continues to increase the number of vocational training centres, aimed at creating more that 3.6 million jobs within a span of ten years. It is evident that plans are underway to construct ten buildings that will be used as vocational education training complexes. The strategy also includes renovation of other old buildings to be used as training centres so as to increase the annual capacity of vocational training centres in Saudi Arabia. (Field, 2006) Contextualised economic, political and social aspects A critical analysis of the current issues in the vocational education training in Saudi Arabia shows that the kingdom is responding to various aspects that are economic, social and political in nature. For a long time, the Saudi Arabian kingdom has been relying on oil as its main source of revenue. After some time, the kingdom realised that revenue from oil was not sufficient if it was to experience economic growth. This was coupled with other challenges such as increased competition from other oil producing nations. This resulted in the kingdom initiating vocational education programs within the nation (Wheelahan, 2008). This is through starting up more than 150 centres of vocational training aimed at creating more than 3.6 million jobs, considering the fact that vocational education would allow graduates to start income generating projects. This means that increased revenue will be raised through tax paid by businessmen and women. Consequently, the kingdom has increased the budgetary funds allocated to education (Gerd, 2006). In realising the need to diversify its industrial potential, much national revenue was also being used to outsource skilled workers from other nations to ensure that there is industrial development (Considine & Evesson, 2008). In making various vocational education training strategies, the Saudi Arabian kingdom is actually responding to social aspects. It was noted that the lack of jobs for Saudi Arabian citizens was increasing bad behaviour. The kingdom therefore aimed at reducing if not eradicating such behaviour to enhance social cohesion. In this case, the aim was to reduce the disparities between the wealthy and the poor in the society. Those who never got the chance to pursue higher education ended up having a low income. This response was therefore put in place to ensure that every Saudi Arabian citizen has a sustainable income, hence enhance social cohesion within the nation. (Snell & Janney, 2005) In the venture to enhance social cohesion, areas that are highly disadvantaged in terms of acquiring higher education are highly put into perspective. The youths are therefore highly targeted in this case to ensure that they get businesses that can sustain them financially. This is due to the fact that unemployment rates were considered to be high among the youths in the nation. Politically, the Saudi Arabian kingdom is headed by a king and the citizens are expected to respect and even pay tributes to the king (Kincheloe, 1999). Unlike other nations, it has neither a parliament nor political parties; however, it has a council that is consultative in nature. In order to enhance this, the kingdom ahs opted to enhance vocational education training so that all the people are financially empowered, which narrows down the empowerment of the king. It is important to note that this shapes the educational issue of expanding vocational training centres in Saudi Arabia in various ways. The venture is therefore ensured that it is widespread across all regions in Saudi Arabia. Critical analysis Critical analysis of the current strategy to expand vocational training centres in Saudi Arabia shows that it is a positive venture, considering the fact that the kingdom has ensured that after training youths, they can easily be given loans to start up businesses. This is a very positive venture, because the majority of youths lack funds that they need as capital to start up a business. Offering the chance for training would not be sufficient on its own; consequently, these loans for business capital would enhance the success of the strategy of ensuring that youths in the nation have projects that can generate income. Further critical analysis shows that vocational training in Saudi Arabia only targets the youths. It is however imperative to note that there are also adults who do not have the skills to start a business. This calls for the need to expand the program to include adults who left school many years back, yet do not have any vocational skills or businesses. (Stacey, 2005)This can be incorporated by having a sub branch of the vocational training education in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, as the current vocational education training is more formal in nature, incorporating the older people in training programs may call for having informal set-ups that can provide a good learning environment for this target group of people. This will enhance social cohesion within the nation, and the nation’s economic indicators will also increase. Impacts on future personal teaching practice in vocational education Saudi Arabia’s current strategy on vocational education training is bound to have positive effects on vocational education teaching practice. This is quite encouraging as it is bound to encourage students to work hard, knowing that there are more career opportunities. The current strategies in vocational education therefore call for proper policies to be put in place to ensure that the quality of vocational education is not compromised. The kingdom’s strategy on expanding the vocational training centres means that the student to teacher ratio will increase. The impact lies in the aspect of improved relationships among vocational education teachers, which will enhance the quality of education being provided (Harteis & Billet, 2008). This move has resulted in critical reflection among vocational education teachers to ascertain whether they can meet the demand in the market. The strategy has therefore impacted on vocational teachers in their critical reflection concerning current teaching practices. This has resulted in improvement strategies being planned to match the need in the market. Moreover, as vocational education teachers have a key role to play in implementing or seeing to the success of the kingdom’s strategy, this will result in collaborative approaches being taken by the teachers. This is where they will have to collaborate with other stakeholders to ensure that quality educational services are provided to the learners. This also includes the incorporation of cost effective measures in teaching practice to ensure that resources are being used by a large number of learners. This also means that vocational education trainers need to constantly update their skills to meet the increasing demand in the market (UNESCO, 2007). Conclusion To conclude, Saudi Arabian has continued to embrace the concept of vocational education to enhance social cohesion, economic development and political stability. The kingdom has put in place a strategy that ensures increased numbers of vocational training centres so that many youths get the chance to join the training institutions. It is evident that this move was affected by social, political and economic factors. Socially, the nation noticed disparities among citizens in terms of financial stability. This move was therefore geared towards enhancing social cohesion. The Saudi Arabian kingdom realised that oil revenues are not sufficient in sustaining the economy, hence the investment in vocational education. Critical analysis of the strategy shows that it is positive since it aims at improving the living standards and job creation in the nation. The kingdom has ensured that after training youths, they can easily be given loans to start up businesses, which is a very positive venture since the majority of youths the necessary lack funds to use as capital. Nevertheless, the strategy needs to incorporate adults who also form part of the jobless people in the nation. The current strategies in vocational education therefore need proper policies to be put in place to ensure that the quality of vocational education is not compromised. This move has resulted in critical reflection among vocational education teachers to ascertain whether they can meet the demand in the market. References Bashshur, M. (2004). Higher Education in the Arab States, Beirut: UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in the Arab States, Saudi Arabia. Brodhead, C. (2000). A Vision for Vocational Education. 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