Page 239 - Records of Bahrain (5) (ii)_Neat

The progress of stale education, 1939-1941 559

INDUSTRIAL INFLUENCES IN BAHRAIN.

During the past two decades the sociul and economic
life of the countries of the Middle Eaot has been subjected to
for-reaching changes, brought about by the introduction of new
amenities, new sources of power, and new industrial processes.
These changes have, on the whole, been highly beneficial, but
they have come about so rapidly that the people of the countries
concerned have been unable to acquire a thorough knowledge of
the new forces which have so profoundly influenced their lives;
and lacking such knowledge, the native peoples of the Middle
East have played only a minor part in the new Industries and
commercial enterprises established in their midst. This condition
of things is nowhere more evident than in Bahrain where in recent
years the development oC building and public works, the introduc­
tion of mechanical trude3 into the markets, and above all, the
vast activities of the Oil Company, have created a demand for
service which could not be met by the untrained and inexperienced
local population. Remunerative employment in skilled occupations
or in executive posts has therefore been given almost entirely
to foreigners who have come to the Island in large numbers,
leaving only the unskilled and poorly paid work to the native
Bahrainis.
If in the future Bahrain subjects are to ploy an im­
portant part in modem industrial activity, their training will
have to bo undertaken without delay, for training takes time,
and meanwhile the recruitment of foreigners into industry is con­
tinuing unchecked. There are various skilled occupations for
which the demand is considerable and increasing, and for which
the means of training are within the reach of the Education
Department of your Highness's Government through the medium of
the proposed Technical School. If attention is first given to
the careful preparation of Bahrain boys for service as skilled
workmen In the mechanical, electrical, woodworking and building
trades, their advancement to higher posts in industry and the
Government Departments will follow later as a matter of course.
The problem of providing higher technical training for executive
and administrative posts in industry will be easily solved
provided that elementary industrial training is first established
on a sound basis in the State.
It is satisfactory that the matter of technical training
has already received some attention in Bahrain and that the
small Technical School at Manama has met with a measure of
success. The scheme of training in this school was conceived
generally on the right lines, though various factors in the
instruction and organisation have arrested its proper development.
The results of this initial experiment have enabled me to recom­
mend the adoption of a considerable extension of the scheme,
fully confident that it could be carried to a successful issue.

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