oa TVET Education Reform in the MENA region following the Arab Spring

The Arab Spring of 2011 deconstructed enduring post-colonial dictatorships that perpetuated propaganda politics and penalized democratic expression. Within four months of the start of the revolutions, intellectuals began actively discussing how the uprisings of Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, and Syria, along with resistance movements in neighbouring countries, offered “a particular opportunity to switch pedagogic and scholarly modes and strategies” in the region (Jadaliyyah, 2011). Indeed, it is an opportune time to discuss fundamental education reforms – amendments that remedy specific ideological paradoxes and incongruences that have obstructed education for a democratic society and thwarted civil empowerment in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. This study provides an overview of the major factors that plague MENA education systems which include increasing educational disparity, a decrease in the quality of education despite high per capita education expenditures, and a mismatch between labour market needs and the outputs of education systems. It specifically highlights the post- revolution evolution technical and vocational education and training systems must undergo to effectively address one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world – a significant contributor to ongoing unrest among the 85 million youth in the region. Specific recommendations for ways in which TVET reforms can positively impact this demographic through measures that address education quality and relevance are presented.