Abstract
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is a diverse region with 7.7% of the world's population and 4.3% of the world's GDP (Abed & Davoodi, 2003). The region has approximately 75% of the world's oil supply. In spite of the oil exports, the 21 Arab countries, Afghanistan, Iran, and 2 territories of the region have some of the highest rates of unemployment and poverty in the world. The region also has a significantly large and growing population of children under 14. Couple this with serious environmental issues and there are critical consequences for the future. To avoid these consequences, the region has to face economic development now. Before it can promote any type of economic development in the region, the MENA countries must first invest in knowledge. The current MENA educational systems are outdated and will be inadequate to handle all of the needs to effectively prepare their youth and adults for the workplace. One case study provides hope for this challenging situation through the use of adult education methodologies.
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Recommended Citation
Daffron, S. R.
(2007).
The Challenges of Educating the Adults of the Middle East and North Africa.
Adult Education Research Conference.
https://newprairiepress.org/aerc/2007/roundtables/3
The Challenges of Educating the Adults of the Middle East and North Africa
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is a diverse region with 7.7% of the world's population and 4.3% of the world's GDP (Abed & Davoodi, 2003). The region has approximately 75% of the world's oil supply. In spite of the oil exports, the 21 Arab countries, Afghanistan, Iran, and 2 territories of the region have some of the highest rates of unemployment and poverty in the world. The region also has a significantly large and growing population of children under 14. Couple this with serious environmental issues and there are critical consequences for the future. To avoid these consequences, the region has to face economic development now. Before it can promote any type of economic development in the region, the MENA countries must first invest in knowledge. The current MENA educational systems are outdated and will be inadequate to handle all of the needs to effectively prepare their youth and adults for the workplace. One case study provides hope for this challenging situation through the use of adult education methodologies.
