First Tahrir Square, Then the Classroom

As Egyptians await official election results, the military has commandeered power and observers question whether the Arab Spring uprisings will lead to democracy in the Middle East. Young adults were behind the protests and uprisings of 2011, and their goals included greater employment opportunities and affordable housing, explains Thomas L. Friedman in the New York Times. Education is a foundation for greater employment opportunities, but Arab nations have inadequate systems and methods, leaving large numbers of students unprepared in basic subjects. Friedman warns that it’s a mistake for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, projected to win the election, to interpret success as a religious mandate. Voters want social opportunity and stability. Political leadership that fails to provide basic education and economic opportunity – unelected or elected – can’t rest easy. Discontent, protests and abrupt leadership transitions will continue. – YaleGlobal