The Saudi Education System - Essay Example

THE SAUDI EDUCATION SYSTEM Modern Western Style Universities, New Political, Intellectual Policy And Improving Education After the Second World War, Saudi Arabia transformed from a country of Bedouins into one of the richest countries of the world. Specifically, oil production has been the leading cause of increased and rapid development of the country. Unfortunately, despite there being much development in the country, there was an enormous gap in education, as there were no institutes of higher learning or when the Ministry of Education until the year 1975. When the ministry was created, its primary objective was to educate a community that was struggling to read and write. By the end of 2003, eight universities served 22 million people. However, in 2003, the government of Saudi Arabia made an active decision on restructuring and expanding the higher education sector. As a result, the national allocation for the same has tripled since 004 reaching $15 million in 2007. Most of the funds allocated to the ministry were used in the construction of new universities and colleges across the country. National leaders, such as King Abdullah, have supported the program from their personal account by donating $10 million for the construction of a Science and Technology University. In endorsing the higher education initiative, the government lifted a long-standing ban on the operation of private institutions. In this regard, free land and funds amounting to $10 million were issued to the private sector in terms of scholarship and construction to facilitate its achievement of a higher status such as Yale and Harvard Universities. In establishing a quality education system, various adjustments were made in the banking sector, political sector, as well as the religious and social sector to promote factors that facilitated the cultivation of a New England in the Middle East. According to Philip G. Altbach, the decision to establish the ministry of education and invest in the same is a decisive step towards academic development. However, the director of the Center for International Higher Education acknowledges that the educational position of the country poses a challenge to the achievement of the set objectives (Altbach cited in Krieger 2007, p. 1). The first challenge facing the country is solving its major problem of technology import. As confirmed by the deputy minister of higher education, Mohammed Al-Ohali, the country has relied on foreign technology for a long time (Bander bin Saud cited in Krieger 2007, p. 2). Specifically, this is due to the overreliance on Social Sciences among the universities in Saudi Arabia. For a long period, Saudi universities concentrated on producing religious leaders rather than producing scientists and businesspersons. Such analysis pioneered the need for the reforms in the sector in order to alter the subjects and learning techniques. It is observed that routine knowledge is preferred over the innovative thinking in an ideal Saudi classroom (Al-Naimi cited in Krieger 2007, p. 2). Additionally, there is little emphasis on research in the Saudi education system. However, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology seems to be a key driver in transforming the Saudi school system. Notably, the institution will facilitate educational liberty, reasoning, and innovation in a nation-changing project (Press cited in Krieger 2007, p. 3). Nonetheless, the school will remain under the patronage of the King to give it some immunity from social corruption. The private sector has been boosted by the accreditation of the establishment of the Al-Faisal University. Specifically, this non-profit institution seeks help from western universities in order to follow the steps of King Abdullah University. The project is promising since it involves the Harvard Medical School and Harvard Medical International in the formulation of the recruitment policies and administrative procedures to use in the medical school. On the other hand, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Cambridge are designing the engineering program at the institution. The focus of the Al-Faisal University is to fill the gap in the educational equation that lacks critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Furthermore, the Al-Faisal University will be coeducational in order to cater for the academic needs of the female students. Currently, female students are taught by men at women’s colleges through closed-circuit television. Although women and men will access education in the college, their interaction will be hindered, unlike in King Abdullah University. Notably, this is a condition applied based on the legally mandated segregation of gender in Saudi Arabia. In regard to this, women will attend similar classes to men, but they will sit in the balcony and separated by a transparent glass. The entrance of men and women will be different as a female student will access the classes from the underground floor. Although these segregation measures appear to be discriminatory, they are embedded in the national culture. For this reason, the college has to admit male students only in order to obtain social credibility. The public opinion of scholars is that gender segregation is a discriminatory practice that denies women an opportunity to access education (Goodridge cited in Krieger 2007, p. 3). Although there is a need to reform such various, it is difficult because interfering with the social order might cause conflicts. Nonetheless, the state must implement measures that ensure women have access to education and promote an equal learning environment for men and women (Al-Kattan cited in Krieger 2007, p. 3). The success of importing the western culture in education has drawn different opinions. Specifically, there are two main groups made by the supporters and skeptics of the success in adopting the western culture. In order to avoid cultural conflict, Saudi reformers are prepared to pick the western elements that align with the national traditions. Specifically, the government is keen not to duplicate a project of failure, such as the one adopted by the Qatar government. According to Mr. Al-Kattan, the Qatar government imported Weill Medical College of Cornell University but it has not been received as projected (Al-Kattan cited in Krieger 2007, p. 4). According to the skeptics, a university cannot have a universal competitive edge in a restricted environment. In particular, education requires an open approach, thus firing professors who display opinions that conflict with the Wahhabi beliefs is inappropriate. Restriction in education puts the reputation of the college below the international standards (Gharba cited in Krieger 2007, p. 4). Gharba accepts the fact that restrictions are a retrogressive practice that delays the achievement of development projects. However, the government hopes that education will enlighten the people and oppose such mindset in the society. The Saudi culture is the fundamental hurdle to the adoption of the western educational culture. Musadik Malik asserts that people view higher education as a social-engineering tool that will shape the culture and open many liberal-minded opportunities (Malik cited Krieger 2007, p. 5). On the same account, Gharba says that the progressive transformation in the education system will challenge the social structures leading the opening of the social Pandoras Box (Gharba cited in Krieger 2007, p. 5). In other words, educational progression that challenges the morality and importance or effects of a culture will spread from the classroom to the ordinary man. Eventually, steady and gradual transformation will take shape before the final acceptance of a traditional change to accommodate the academic and other social needs of men and women. Where Saudi Arabia Heading? The Saudi government has invested a lot to modernize the country. In financial terms, the country has advanced from the position 67 to 22 based on the international finance corporation (IFC). According to CIA Factbook and Sakianakis (2011) 37 percent of the Saudi population is under 14 years, and 51 percent fall below 25 years. Since the national majority population is the youth, there is a need for immediate reforms in education and employment. The Saudi youth is complex compared to the previous generation. Most of the youth look for change as expressed through the internet and the social media (Sallam and Hunter 2013). Regardless of this, they display some elements of conservatives in their way of life and opinions. Boredom is a major issue among the males who use most of their time idling in the shopping malls. The limited access to recreation activities leaves the youths has no option but to surf the internet or watch television. As a result, the family ties grow stronger while the communal integration becomes weaker. Nonetheless, there are more social problems such as gender segregation and marriage practices. The youths are more modern in their practices and religious beliefs compared to the previous generation. Due to this perception of religion, the influence of the Clerics on the society is slowly losing its value as more people become liberal (Ali Sallam, A. A. (2012). The continued training of Saudis as professionals has resulted in the surfacing of a new religious culture. Specifically, these religious reforms concern the tribal customs of the patriarchal culture and the definition of womens rights as provided by the Ulama’s Sunni interpretation. Religious restrictions in the country are regionally specific. In particular, Riyadh and the regions around it has a the most strict religious practice compared to other places such as Jeddah. A guardian has the duty and the right over the person they protect. The rights have underlying themes of responsibilities and decorum where men consider it an honor to protect women. In this regard, the rights of women are defined by the traditional customs rather than the Islamic mandate (Wagner, 2013). The extent of conservatives among the Saudi community is measured using the result of a poll that suggests that 80% of Saudi women are against women working in an environment where they will interact with men (Butters, 2009). Additionally, the Saudi women are against political involvement because it is an alteration of gender roles, which is against the Islamic doctrines. On the contrary, women believe that, assuming political office is welcoming the Western culture, whereas women in Saudi have a lot of freedom (Ambah, 2006). Furthermore, there is a valid opinion against and in support of women wearing hijab in Islam. The Saudi government has tried to fight the conservative customs that hinder women from interacting with men. For this reason, King Abdullah opened the first coeducational university in 2009. Norah Al-Faiz became the first female deputy minister of Saudi Arabia in the same years. Recent progress shows that women are more represented in courts for family issues by women lawyers. In politics, women were allocated 30 seats in the consultative assembly in order to give them political empowerment to challenge the traditions. To further provide women with political powers, the government has not only enacted new decrees against women’s violence, but also granted them voting rights and the liberty to run for political offices in 2015. Despite the state input in promoting gender equality, some commentators view these reforms as symbolic values rather than substantive. From a historical perspective, the Saudi government and the society have a profound conservative element that outlines the gender roles in the society. Therefore, challenging these customs is difficult and might cause serious conflict within the community. Despite there being some conservative feeling in politics, women have taken the liberal initiative in academic advancement. Specifically, the number of female students in the secondary and tertiary education exceeds that of men in the same divisions (Ambah, 2006). The government initiated a social experiment at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology to challenge the conservative customs. Specifically, the study involves allowing coeducation and granting female students to attend school without their veils. The labor sector has experienced a similar radical liberalization on womens rights. Today, the strict measures that prevented women from driving in the urban centers have been changed or challenged. In addition, where the freedom is not entirely implemented, the punishment for the same is light compared to some years ago (Sallam and Hunter 2013). In understanding the contemporary Saudi Arabia, it is essential to comprehend the Wahabi movement that marked the beginning of the modern Saudi Arabian history. The movement was organized by Muhammad bin Saud and Muhammad bin Abdel Wahab. Specifically, it was a revivalist movement meant to revive the social virtues and to restore the a return to a previous happiness error (Al munajjed, 1997). The motivation behind the formation of the movement relied on Muhammad bin Abdel Wahab’s intense loyalty to puritanical religion. In that accord, the success of the movement was purely dependent on faith and power. The second arm of the Saudi administration is formed of the Wahhabi, who is the Sunni Islams ultra conservative branch (Sallam and Hunter 2013). The group follows Salafi teachings that are an orthodox version of Sunnism based on the authentic practice of Islam. In a large extent, the Salafis practices and tradition are dominant in the current Saudi society and culture. Although there are frequent tensions between the Shia and the Sunni, the same was significantly reduced ion 2006. Specifically, Kind Abdullah relaxed some restrictions enacted by the Shia sect creating an accommodating environment in 2005. Despite being a leading economic powerhouse or a potential economic hub, Saudi Arabia has one of the discriminatory cultures in the world. In particular, the traditional practices in the country are gender insensitive oppressing women by denying them some fundamental human rights and freedoms. Specifically, women have been denied adequate opportunity to access higher education or participate in voting. Even where these policies are enacted, there is little support from the government or the society. However, with the current progression trend, how future of the country is bright based on the level of investment in education and the population of the country. The liberty and openness created by education are crucial in propagating the spread of the concept and providing new opportunities to expand the information. References Aboulola, M. S. (2010), “Story of Success,” Saudi Gazette, December 25th, http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2010042570427, accessed 29th December 2014. Ali Sallam, A. A. (2012), “HIV/AIDS in Yemen between Society Review and Services Weakness,” December 27, http://www.ovimagazine.com/art/9484, accessed 27th December 2014. Ambah, F. S. (2005). “Saudi king Tiptoes toward More Openness,” The Christian Science Monitor, October 6, http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1006/p01s03wome.html, accessed 29th December 2014). Ambah, F. S. (2006). “Saudi Women Rise in Defense of the Veil,” The Washington Post, June 1, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/ 2006/05/31/AR2006053101994_pf.html, accessed 27th December 2014) CIA Factbook: Saudi Arabia Population.” And Sfakianakis, J. (2011), “Saudi Youth Struggle to Find Work Raises Urgency for Reform,” Arab News, February 16, http://www.arabnews.com/node/368519, accessed 30th January 2015. 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