The Politics of Education

Abstract

This chapter starts by providing an overview of education in the Middle East and North Africa. Taking Egypt as its main case study, it argues that despite the increasing investments and growth in educational access and attainment, the region still faces endemic problems. These include poor-quality education, the mismatch of skills and labor market requirements, poor teacher conditions, persistent social and economic inequalities, authoritarian and violent education, and challenges specific to the ongoing conflicts and refugee crisis. The chapter then critically analyzes two of the most cited reform recommendations, namely developing education systems conducive to the requirements of the global market and the private sector and the expansion of educational technology. The chapter concludes by arguing for adopting a political sociological outlook that considers power, politics, and education to be inherently intertwined. Only then could one properly envision alternatives to transform education in the region.