About 1,300 universities and higher institutes in our Arab world have become massive factories for unemployed graduates, making unemployment a pressing concern for every Arab family. Studies suggest that about 50% of traditional jobs worldwide are expected to disappear by 2030.

These developments have sparked a heated societal debate over educational outcomes and labor market needs, as many believe that current educational systems and curricula no longer align with the evolving labor market and its changing nature. They argue that these systems fail to equip young people with the essential skills required to succeed in today’s economy.

To discuss the relationship between educational outcomes and labor market needs, Al-Mujtama’a spoke with Prof. Fadheel Ibrahim Mazari, a lecturer at the Faculty of Law and Political Science at the University of Chlef in Algeria, who specializes in educational issues in the Arab world.

Our nation suffers from a multifaceted civilizational crisis. In your view, how does education serve as a spearhead for revival?

• Education is one of the most essential pillars of civilizational progress, as it prepares a conscientious individual capable of assuming scientific and practical responsibilities, as well as ethical and functional ones. Such individuals become positive citizens and active participants in civilization. Through its levels, methodologies, and topics, education aims to create individuals who understand the concept of stewardship, the significance of cultural progress, the downsides of dependency, and how to become productive members of society.

Demographic growth and corruption have negatively impacted education budgets in the Arab world

However, if we examine the elements of the educational process—curriculum, teaching, and educational management—it becomes evident that our educational policies still suffer from remnants of the past. They have not transitioned to meet development requirements and the construction of a modern state. These policies continue from the educational strategies of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, which aimed to liberate individuals from ignorance. Yet, the world has now radically changed, witnessing major technological and industrial transformations that demand a shift to a new educational phase that builds creative individuals who rely on their abilities to search and learn independently.

Some argue that aligning educational outcomes with labor market needs is a challenge facing the Arab world. How valid is this perspective?

• The reality reveals a significant gap between educational outcomes and labor market requirements, a situation that can be termed structural unemployment in economic terms. The focus of Arab educational policy on quantity rather than quality has led to a large segment of university graduates, even those with higher degrees, waiting in line for job opportunities.

Some link this phenomenon to educational and training curricula. Do you agree?

• Indeed, the curriculum, as defined by Dr. Mohamed Nasr Arif, consists of a blend of sciences, knowledge, ideas, information, values, and skills provided to learners throughout their studies. It is a key facet of the issue, as reforms have often focused on details rather than the larger picture, importing new methods and curricula in a distorted manner and forcibly integrating them into the educational system. The Arab economy and the need to end economic dependence require educational programs that can produce a workforce capable of driving development, similar to the model of South Korea, Singapore, and even Germany in the early 1950s.

Does the level of spending on education impact this issue?

Arab countries are characterized by their social policies, one of which is free education. Some Arab nations have emphasized freeing people from intellectual backwardness and ridding them of colonial dependency on the West, allocating annual budgets to universalize education across the homeland. However, the challenge lies within the educational process itself—how and what we teach, who should remain in educational institutions, and to what extent the curriculum aligns with development needs. These questions have gradually formed significant challenges, resulting in accumulated burdens on educational institutions.

Educational Policies Have Not Kept Up with Major Global Economic Transformations

Educational spending in our countries is not linked to modernization policies that include setting up advanced educational institutions, modern programs, advanced tools, and a focus on digitalization, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity principles, and social commitment. Education budgets have swollen due to demographic growth, requiring more educational institutions and resources, as well as the corruption within the sector, particularly when discussing reforms and forming reform committees.

Some believe that social sciences and humanities are overly emphasized in education despite their lack of relevance to the job market. Is the issue with these fields or with our inability to properly employ their graduates?

• This is a very important question addressing a real issue that Arab governments have faced since the 1990s. The problem lies with the massive number of students in the social sciences and humanities, as well as with the way these subjects are taught. Many students in these fields have weak academic achievement in foreign languages, and these specialties don’t require high entry grades, attracting students with limited academic ability. The admission criteria to universities have been diluted, transitions between educational stages are marred by deficiencies, and the requirements for obtaining degrees have been simplified to the extent that even cheaters and indifferent students obtain university degrees with little to no real skills. This phenomenon has become widespread in social sciences and humanities fields, where students graduate without practical skills or a profession.

There is a large gap between academic education and market needs. How do you view this dilemma, and are there steps to address it?

• Since the early 1990s, economic reforms in many Arab countries have led to a gradual withdrawal of the state from the economic sector, opening the way for the private sector, which views human capital as a “commodity” with value determined by profitability and seeks to minimize workforce size. This has led to limited demand for university graduates and a shift toward vocational and training centers.

Admission standards to universities have been diluted, and degree attainment is facilitated through cheating

Additionally, educational policies have not kept pace with major global economic transformations, creating a significant gap between the existing reality and the ideal. This has driven an ongoing reliance on training centers that produce skilled workers in a short time frame, as opposed to the academic education route, which requires at least three years.

Could you elaborate on the organic relationship between education and the job market in developed countries?

• French sociologist Alain Touraine mentions one of the strangest responses he received in field studies: when he asked a French citizen, “Who do you dislike?” the response was, “The teacher; because he lied to us, saying we would graduate and find jobs that would enable us to integrate into society and achieve social status.”

This response reflects a crisis that transcends borders. However, developed countries realized that genuine development begins with fundamental educational reform across all levels. Many countries have thus reformed their educational systems, understanding the foundations of true economic growth. They now focus on quality, applied sciences, and languages while integrating national values into education.

What about alternative education, such as paid courses and workshops? Can they address the shortcomings in academic education?

• What distinguishes these courses is that they are often organized by the private sector, which prioritizes profit and financial gain, with training durations often not exceeding three weeks. Thus, they cannot replace or fill the educational gap. The crisis is much deeper and requires comprehensive educational reform and the establishment of modern training centers.

Do private universities face the same challenges as public universities?

• Yes, private universities suffer from many of the same shortcomings and also need reforms. I don’t see them succeeding under the current educational and employment policies.

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