Reality of Vocational and Technical Education and its Shortcomings in the Arab World: Syria as a Study Case

Abstract

The vocational and technical education is a kind of formal education

which includes the educational preparation and the acquisition of technical

and professional skills. It is usually done by formal educational institutions

which aim at preparing skilled workers in the industrial, agricultural,

commercial and health fields. In this research, we have discussed the problems

that the educational sector in the Arab world suffers from. The researcher

made a field study for the vocational schools in Idleb district in the Syrian

Arab Republic. A questionnaire was distributed gathered and analyzed using

the SPSS statistical program. The following results were found:

1. Most students who choose the technical and vocational programs do

not do this because they like these programs. On the contrary, they feel

embarrassed because of the compulsory separation between the academic

(general) education and vocational education according to the students’

grades in the preparatory stage.

2. There is ignorance in the concept of vocational and technical education

and its role in the building of the community either by the students or

by the members of the community because the absence of guidance and

career counseling.

3. There is no close link between the curriculum and the practical reality of

the profession. Furthermore, the educational programs which are offered

are not suitable for the market needs; therefore the graduates are not

well- qualified.