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An MP had recently put forward a proposal to allow children of expatriates to enrol in government schools, owing to the high tuition fees in private schools!
Such a move needs to be stopped as it will have a negative impact on the educational system and the national interest.
The MP received a lot of flak on social media and news platforms, with several people rejecting and condemning such proposals that only adds to the pain of citizens who are already suffering enough!
First, it must be emphasised that Parliament is the representative of the people, and is responsible for enacting legislation and laws that serve the interests of citizens first and last.
Government education, with its limited resources and capabilities, must be dedicated to the sons of the homeland who are most deserving of this service, especially in light of the challenges facing the education sector, whether in terms of student density in classes, or the need to develop curricula and infrastructure.
The current law, which limits government education to Bahrainis, is not an arbitrary decision, but is based on a clear vision that puts citizens at the forefront of priorities.
It is illogical to increase competition for school seats in government schools when there are alternatives available to expatriates in private schools. Some companies do provide support systems for children of expatriate employees.
Not to mention that this matter is their business and we are not in the process of solving the problems of expatriate workers. If their financial situation does not allow them to enrol their children in private schools, it is better to keep them in their countries, even though most of them have the financial capability to do so. From my personal point of view, they are few and may aspire to obtain all government services for free! Some individuals do not want to spend on their children’s education. They want to save money and send it to their country at the expense of giving their children a good formal education.
There is also a financial dimension that cannot be overlooked, as government schools are funded from the general budget, which consists mainly of state taxes and revenues, and is allocated to serve citizens who are the pillars of the nation and its future.
Is it fair to direct these resources to non-Bahrainis while there are still urgent issues that need solutions within the educational system itself?
There is no doubt that the top priority should be to improve the quality of education, develop curricula, and raise the efficiency of teachers, and not add new burdens to the educational system by expanding the base of beneficiaries at the expense of the Bahraini citizen.
Therefore, such a proposal, although it may be marketed under the cover of openness or support for diversity, or in terms of equality and human rights, is essentially illogical and does not align with the principle of national priority.
The most important question remains, why is there no focus on enhancing the quality of government education to serve the citizen first, before thinking about opening it to other groups?
We ask the honorable MPs who only want to record their presence to be content with silence, as silence is more merciful, as they say.
Zuhair A Tawfiqi
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