Kuwait Times

Published Date: May 11, 2008
By Hussain Al-Qatari, Staff writer

KUWAIT: Desegregating private schools appears to be one of the main concerns of many parliamentary candidates. It is more so for the members of the National Democratic Alliance(NDA). The American University of Kuwait(AUK) hosted a number of candidates in a seminar that was aimed at answering the questions of students and candidates.

The venue was divided into two halves, with men sitting on one side and women sitting on the other. "Segregating students is an insult to each and every one," said philosophy professor and third constituency candidate Dr Aseel Al-Awadhi. "The message it delivers is, 'I do not trust you with your colleagues,' and that is unacceptable.

She added that she respects the legislation that was issued in 1996: to segregate students in Kuwait University campus, despite the fact that it is a political legislation and not based on the educational level of the students. "It delayed, and still actually delays, a lot of students' graduation, and it does not take into consideration the huge amount of money that is invested in building two separate campuses. This means that we are multiplying everything by two," she said. He explained that this amount
of money is better used to improve the educational system rather than delay the students and take them backward in time.

Moving on from the tragedy of the KU, Al-Awadhi said that it contradicts with the laws of the Constitution and segregate private schools as well. "The Constitution grants the citizens the right to choose and when they see that there is benefit in paying from their own pocket to register their children in co-ed schools, it is fully their right.

Candidate Khaled Al-Zamel had a different opinion. "I think that segregation, as it is now, is not an issue." He said that even though he is against the legislation, he does not see a problem with students being segregated in the classrooms. "It has always been like this. Men at on a side and women on the other," he said. A female student stood up and said that the plastic partition in the hall insults the upbringing of students. "It is as if someone does not trust my ability to follow what my professor is
saying in the classroom," she said irritably. "I don't need a partition. I have reached an age where I can choose for myself," she said.

Asked about the quota system, Al-Awadhi said that she is against it because, "First of all, it's not constitutional. Second of all, it suggests that women are incapable of reaching the Parliament, which is wrong. And women are not a minority." In fact, women are the majority. Al-Awadhi stressed on the importance of advancement and making serious plans for it. She also stressed on the role of education and the importance of it becoming a priority in the government and parliament's agenda.