College segregation a waste of money, forum hears

DEATH THREATS: Liberal MP Ali Al-Rashed has been threatened for calling for an end to the segregation of men and women in Kuwait’s education system. (AFP)

Millions of dinars have been wasted by the unnecessary separation of men and women at universities, a Kuwaiti forum heard on Tuesday.

Outspoken opponents to the country’s educational segregation laws said that co-education does not contradict Islamic Sharia, as men and women were allowed to mix freely in markets and workplaces, reported Kuwait’s Arab Times.

“Other Muslim countries allow the integration of male and female students in schools and universities”, Lolwa Al Qattami, owner of American International School (AIS), told the meeting at the Women Cultural and Social Society.

“Does this mean these countries base their laws on Islamic principles different from what we follow in Kuwait?” she asked.

Kuwait's parliament, controlled by Islamists and conservatives, passed a law in 1996 stipulating that male and female students at Kuwait University and other higher education institutions be completely separated.

It also passed another law in 2000 extending the ban on co-education to private universities.

Some female students have complained they are unable to access certain courses because they must wait for a full class of women.

Noura Al-Ghanem, representing private school owners, said schools across the Gulf were already facing difficulties recruiting qualified teachers. “If we implement the segregation law, then we will need twice the number of existing teachers” she said.

According to Kuwait University Professor Dr Ali Al-Zhogbi the law had been a factor in the “deterioration of Kuwait’s education and has also affected our children’s confidence”.

Liberal MP Ali Al-Rashed received death threats earlier this month after he filed a bill calling for the laws to be amended in order to allow co-education, saying students had been negatively affected.

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READERS' COMMENTS

College segregation a waste of money, forum hears
Posted by Akbar Khalidi, Abu Dhabi, UAE on Thursday 14 February 2008 at 19:36 UAE time


Segregation is like security, it is method of prevention like we have locks in

houses, shops, etc. e-mail have passwords, computer and security areas have

security control methods. It does not mean that all people are bad. It simply

means inconvince of security is acceptable, but the results of insecurity are

not acceptable. All the time Muslims believed that Allah know more than us

and His orders are important to us. Now people they have started to rebel.The result are bed bugs spreading in hotels and posh-areas, Colony Colasping Synondrome in honey-bee's - which means possibily non-food to eat, antaric and artic ice zone - which mean spread of unknown diseases and climatic changed conditions (flooding, etc.). It is important that we turn to Him and ask forgiveness. But most people do not use their brain.

CoEd Facilities
Posted by Glory, Sharjah, UAE on Thursday 14 February 2008 at 08:50 UAE time


At university and higher education facilities, the aim is to prepare attendees for their role in the world of business. This being the case, it seems draconian in thought to apply segregation when the workplace definitely does not practise this principle.
Just because there is co-education does not mean there is a drop in morality. Many people assume this will happen. Morals are taught from family upbringing and should not play a part in the education system.
The money spent on housing separate students could be put to better use by updating the curricula, technology, buildings and teaching methodology of staff.

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