Notably, the government-commissioned Vision Kuwait 2030 report states that a ‘reinvigorated education system’ will serve to integrate locals into a competitive market. Economic discourse is used throughout the report: ‘investments’, ‘examinations’, ‘management’, ‘results’, ‘career advancement’, ‘incentives’, ‘diversified’, ‘strictly monitored’ and ‘training’, to give some examples.3 This neo-liberal trend of greater standardized testing and market-driven training has not served Kuwait well, with students still lacking the knowledge, skills and values to participate actively in society and the economy. Kuwaiti students fare poorly by international standards, coming close to bottom in both the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) assessments.4 Systemic problems that have been identified include comparably lower budgetary spending on books and resources, as well as a shorter academic year by international standards.5 The guarantee of a public-sector job also contributes to a demotivated student body.6 Other reforms in the education sector have focused on technology, although this has been largely superficial, as demonstrated by the distribution to students of iPads with an app housing all their textbooks. A new national curriculum framework is also in development, with a major (and arguably typical) focus on assessable teacher and student outcomes. In the absence of a ‘greater investment in the human infrastructure of a free, democratic citizenry’, however, such educational reforms are insufficient,7 and they are unlikely to contribute to Kuwait’s economic a
This article gives some historical background and a comprehensive look at the state of education in Kuwait. It discusses how extreme nationalism and religious activities outweigh and undermine critical thinking and other elements of education that don't allow Kuwaiti students to perform well in a global level. This paragraph states how the integration of technology is only at a superficial level and doesn't truly give the students any digital literacy for educational purposes.
This source is credible and highly relevant for me. I teach many students from Kuwait and find the conclusions made in this article to be very true in my experience. It poses a big challenge when trying to integrate technology overall as these students are often very behind students that I have from other countries. This source doesn't have a lot of information about technology integration but does provide a base of knowledge for students from Kuwait in general. Rating: 9/10