Research conducted by the Emirates Foundation has found that young people in the UAE are avoiding careers in the private sector and plumping instead for Government and other public sector jobs. And it’s not just because they want greater job security. It seems that they fear they will not be able to compete with a global workforce educated at English language institutions.
Of course English language colleges and universities sell themselves on this very point. To compete in the global economy, they claim, one needs to have a Western, English speaking education. But a Western education is expensive and is considered by some to be culturally unsuitable. And although some English language universities are outstanding, many are mediocre, at best. An English language education is not synonymous with a good education.
Globalisation brings both benefits and disadvantages. Those who are excluded from competing because they were educated in their national institutions, or with a particular cultural bias, are in danger of being disadvantaged economically and marginalised socially. Since one of the founding principles of the global economy is equality of opportunity for all, over reliance on one language and a uniform culture may well prove to be counterproductive.
The message of the Tower of Babel is not of a vengeful God punishing those who disobey him. Rather, it is a metaphor for the dangers of homogenisation. A single language may be good for commerce. But successful societies require more than just profitable commerce. The global economy has to do more than just pay lip service to diversity.
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