Closing the PAAET University
there is no mistake in the article’s title. indeed, the public authority for applied education and training (paaet) has become a parallel university with an unwieldy administrative structure, a staggering number of phd holders, and enormous salaries and privileges, most of which serve little purpose, as the original mission of the institution has been neglected.
paaet is absolutely incapable of supplying the labor market with the practical skills it needs. instead, it floods the job market with graduates in administrative fields who prefer sitting behind desks. i was not surprised by what paaet proudly published on its website, celebrating that some electrical trainees had contracted a graduate from the same department to do electrical work in their homes. i fail to see the source of this pride. how can trainee students even have homes requiring electrical contracts?
currently, kuwait has two public universities that accommodate most high school graduates in all the specializations needed by the kuwaiti market, in addition to offering both local and overseas scholarships.
the ministry of higher education has ignored the importance of applied education for over 70 years. i believe this responsibility falls under the ministry of education, not the ministry of higher education, especially after specialized education strayed from its original purpose and became a third university.
a new vision for specialized education is urgently needed, one that fully overhauls the applied education law and prioritizes vocational training, enabling students and trainees to earn a diploma in just two academic years. all bachelor’s degree programs and overseas scholarships for higher studies at applied education institutes should be abolished, as they do not align with the original purpose of establishing paaet.
kuwait urgently needs skilled workers in dozens of fields, far more than it needs holders of advanced academic degrees.
first of all, kuwait needs to reform its curricula and change the negative stereotypes surrounding those who practice handicrafts. society must learn to respect and value the image of the kuwaiti craftsman, rather than look down upon him.
the journey of applied education and training in kuwait began seventy years ago with the establishment of the industrial institute. since then, thousands have completed their studies, but almost all have moved on to other work due to persistent negative perceptions. without changing this societal view of manual trades, no effort will succeed. restoring the applied education institute to its former role, amending the law, or extending the academic program to two years will all be ineffective.
graduates of the nursing institute, established 60 years ago, provide a clear example. i have never met a kuwaiti nurse in my life. studying this noble and highly important profession is admirable, and receiving a rewarding salary afterward is appealing, but actually working in the field tells a completely different story.
