Education in Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example

Education in Saudi Arabia An Assignment Submitted by Education in Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a monolithic societybased on Islamic origins. Similar to its restrictive justice system, the country has an education system that supports segregation and rigidity in its practice. Educational reforms to improve the quality of the system have been initiated in the recent years in order to compete with the openness of the modern business world. On a broader perspective, the reforms are merely education oriented and are intended to create a robust platform that facilitates the system in developing thoughtful students who are capable of practicing elite principles in the global arena, with no religious differences. Changes in educational system have varied effects on the country’s social and economic progress. The discussion focuses on the historic background of Saudi Arabia and its educational system along with the detailed structure of its school types, curriculum, and teachers. Moreover, King Abdullah’s program for the development of education in Saudi Arabia and the social justice in education is also elaborately discussed. Geographical location to Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is situated in the Southwest Asia, occupying most of the Arabian Peninsula, and is bordered with the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba in the west, and the Persian Gulf in the east. The country is surrounded by the neighboring countries of Yemen, the sultanate of Omen, the United Arab Emirates in the south side and the countries of Jordan, Iraq, and Iran in the northeast and is connected to the mainland of Saudi by a causeway (“Saudi Arabia,” n. d). Saudi Arabia is known for its rich oil resources that extend eastern province along the Persian Gulf. It also contains one of the world’s largest continuous sand desert, the Rub Al-Khali, or Empty Quarter (“Saudi Arabia,” n. d). The climate in Saudi is harsh because of the dry desert with high temperature extremes. Most of the country’s terrain in the sandy deserts is uninhabited and is exposed to natural hazards like frequent sand and dust storms. The primary natural resources of the country include petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, and copper (Taylor & Albasri, 2014). The coastlines of the country provide excellent leverage on shipping through the Persian Gulf and Suez Canal, especially for crude oil. The history of Saudi Arabia The historic background of Saudi Arabia places the country as the homeland of Islam, where the first Arabs originated. The country is known for its two important pilgrimage cities, Mecca and Medina. The trajectory of the nation begins in the 622 AD, the year of hegira, when the invaders attempted to control the entire peninsula. However, in 1517 the Ottoman Empire started dominating, and by the 18th century, the country got divided into separate principalities, until the Wahhabi movement by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhabswept across Arabia in 1745 (Taylor & Albasri, 2014). After waging the holy war, jihad, the Wahhabi leaders unified much of the states in 1811. However, they were driven by the Ottomans and their Egyptian allies in the succeeding years. It was then the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was created by King Ibn Saud, on seizing Riyadh and establishing the Wahhabi dominance in the regions of Nejd and Hejaz, which were merged together to form the nation. Sooner, the region of Asir was included into the kingdom’s territory (“Saudi Arabia,” n. d). In 1932, when Saudi Arabia was formed, it was an absolute monarchy ruled by Sharia, the Islamic law. In 1992, the Saud royal family of the country introduced the first constitution and the legal system was based on the sharia law. The history of education in Saudi Arabia After the country was founded in 1932, the education system was not easily accessible and was limited by individual teaching practices at religious schools, mosques, and private homes. The schools were initially focused on teaching Islamic law, recitation of Quran included with basic writing and reading skills. By the end of the century, there were prominent educational reforms in the Ottoman provinces of Hijaz and Al-Ahsa, leading to the beginning of the ‘modern education’. In 1954, the Ministry of Education was established and the first non-wholly religious university, the King Saud University, was opened in 1957. In 1958, a uniform educational system was provided, which consisted of “a 6-year elementary, a 3-year intermediate and a 3-year secondary cycle with a separate higher education program” (“Educational System,” 2006). Soon, a national educational system was introduced with a network of schools offering free education for students from primary to high grades through universities that were offering non-religious subjects. The education in Saudi Arabia was predominantly segregated by sex, until 1964, when the public education for girls was started, despite the oppositions from the conservatives of the clan. As a result, the education system in Saudi Arabia expanded at a rapid rate in the consequent years. The goal of education in Saudi Arabia The goal of the Saudi education system is to ensure that education is provided in a well-organized and efficient way to meet the religious, social, and economic needs of the nation, as well as to minimize the illiteracy rates within the community. The general objectives of education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are “to provide the students with the values, teachings and ideals of Islam; to equip them with various skills and knowledge; to develop their conduct in constructive directions; and to develop the society economically and culturally” (“World Data on Education,” 2010). Moreover, the primary purpose of their education system is to continue Islamic Educational heritage, by preparing qualified individuals, both intellectually and scientifically. The education system of Saudi aspires to play a major role in the field of research and development, which would contribute to the country’s global progress in arts, science, and inventions. It aims at interpreting scientific knowledge to its Qur’anic (Arabic) language and its development, through providing easy and broader accessibility of knowledge. Education system in Saudi Arabia The school system of Saudi Arabia utilizes a uniform method of instructions, books, evaluation techniques, curriculum, and educational policies. To achieve the goal of its educational system, several government agencies are involved in the process of planning, administrating, and implementing policies that would benefit the overall educational system. The country’s Ministry of Education is involved in setting overall standards for both the general private and public education; administers special education; oversees colleges and schools; supervises kindergartens and nursery schools; and sponsors literary programs for females. Moreover, General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training (GOTEVT) coordinates with the government policies and implements the country’s manpower development plans as well as monitors educational institutes and training centers. Even though universal standards were implemented in the modern educational system of Saudi Arabia, Islamic teachings and ideals were inseparable from their learning methods. The education system is segregated by gender such that the school for boys comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, while for the girls, under the General Presidency of Girls Education. Types of schools in Saudi Arabia The general education system of Saudi Arabia, for both boys and girls, is divided as pre-elementary level, elementary level, intermediate level, secondary level, and higher education level. The pre-elementary level prepares the students for the elementary level for a period of two years, starting at the age of four in the nursery schools, and at the age of five in the preliminary schools. The elementary level is a compulsory as it forms the foundation for the development of the entire educational program. The total duration of this schooling is six years, consisting of two semesters, with 15 weeks of classes each and a two-week examination period. For first four years of grading, examinations are exempted but students are regularly evaluated by trained teachers. It holds a standard curriculum for both boys and girls. The intermediate level consists of two 15 week semesters and a two-week period of examination, with thirty-three class periods per week, each around forty-five minutes of class duration. English is compulsory and a pass in the completion examination is necessary for receiving the Intermediate School Certificate and to enter secondary school. The high school or the secondary level includes regular or vocational and technical secondary education, spanning for a period of three years each. All students study a general curriculum in the first year and then are opted to choose from three different kinds of majors, including Administration & Social Science, Natural Science, and Shariah & Arabic studies. It consists of two semesters each with twenty weeks long classes and a two-week examination period. It is necessary for the students to complete the required credits to earn the Secondary School Certificate, and simultaneously pass the subject examinations with at least fifty percent grade score. The Vocational and Technical Secondary Education is a three-year program for intermediate school graduates to prepare highly skilled workforce. The technical education can be divided into three types: Industrial, commercial, and Agricultural. All these programs are focused at improving the productivity of workers, at the same time, staying apace with the technical standards and technological developments of the international business arena. The higher education system is regulated by the Ministry of Higher Education, which supervises colleges, universities, teacher training institutes. The procedures of education system of Saudi Arabia are in accordance to the Islamic systems, traditions, and customs. The purpose of this ministry in the higher education system of the country is to establish and authorize special programs for the country’s requirements; create and administer colleges and universities; and to increase communication and coordinate between institutions with that of the governmental agencies. The responsibilities of the council includes directing the school and university education system with the government policies, monitoring the development of education in all sectors, encouraging educational research, as well as formulating the needed rules and regulations for compliance by all higher educational institutions of learning. The higher education in Saudi Arabia over the past few decades has undergone a prominent growth and is based on diversification of colleges and universities offering a variety of programs and degrees. The entire curriculum and education system of Saudi Arabia is designed and evaluated in such a way to improve the overall national development as well as to fulfill the country’s potential manpower resources. The curriculum in Saudi Arabia In Saudi Arabian tradition, religion plays a primary role in the disciplines of education, economics, psychology, medicine, sociology, and law. Education in Saudi Arabia has a special emphasis on religious, as Islam is the core of its curriculum. Moreover, there is a strict separation of gender at all levels of education, except in the kindergarten, nursery, certain private institutions, and some medical colleges. When it comes to the curriculum of boys and girls schools, there are certain exceptions of physical education and home economics, otherwise the same for all schools. There is regular study of sacred texts, Islamic tradition, theology, and jurisprudence as a part of education from primary to higher education. Since Islamic education influences the education system of the country, it affects the curriculum of all education levels for both boys and girls. It includes recitation of the Quran, interpretation, and application of it in all aspects of daily life. "Islam is not only integral to Saudi education but also serves as the very essence of the curriculum" (Mutua & Sunal, 2006, p.298). The entire religious curriculum is written, supervised, and taught by the followers of Wahhabism. The curriculum and teachers in Saudi Arabia Teacher training programs have been developed in Saudi Arabia as a part of its educational system. Efforts have been taken in the recent years to raise the standards of the teacher training, in parallel to the general development of its education system. Teachers need to have a minimal qualification of a 4-year bachelor degree for all education levels. The curriculum provided by the Saudi universities and Colleges include education theories and methods, in addition to having separate departments for various subjects as well as Islamic language and theology studies. The Ministry of Education establishes a national committee for curriculum development and reviewing of educational system throughout the country, along with providing advice to the Educational Development Department of the Ministry. Some of the many innovative curriculum development in the recent years are audio-visual media, broadcasting facilities, language laboratories, school libraries, educational resource centers and more. King Abdullah program for the development of education in Saudi Arabia King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP) for the development of education in Saudi Arabia is a SR9 billion project, implemented in 2005 through agreement between King Abdullah and President George Bush, and is the largest scholarship program in Saudi Arabia till date. The main focus of this program is to develop a highly skilled workforce and intellectuals for the benefit of the country. The program has a special emphasis on technical extracurricular activities for the purpose of developing creative, intellectual, and communicative skills and knowledge for the students to become competent to the global advancements. The program is designed “with the goals of increasing patriotic communication, to extend a mutual understanding of cultures with the countries that the students study in, and to allow a cultural exchange with the intention of being mutually beneficial for both Saudi Arabia and the host country” (Taylor & Albasri, 2014, p.111). The program has lot many benefits including monthly stipend, full scholarship, medical coverage, complimentary trips, academic supervision, rewards, and allowances. Social Justice in Education in Saudi Arabia Women’s issues and gender inequalities in the Saudi society has led to the contemporary disparities in the educational system. The obvious challenges in the country’s education system are most probably institutionalised and so are difficult to be dislodged through individual or governmental actions. There is an immediate need to focus on the country’s education development and social justice for women. Women’s educational achievements in higher education are the fundamental social development that contributes to a country’s social status and condition of women. In the recent years, measures have been taken through devising new strategies and programs to achieve social justice in its educational system, thereby challenging the society’s gender inequality. The Saudi Arabian structure of the educational apparatus and its teaching curriculum has opened new horizons for Saudi women. Illiteracy among women is declining in the recent years, due to majority of Saudi women being educated. However, the main barrier to these measures is the tradition and conservative views of the Islamic society regarding women’s participation and involvement. Considering the social and religious background of the country, implementing any prominent changes is difficult, but still, efficient governmental policies determining the future needs of social justice and equality for women should be implemented. Conclusion The educational system in Saudi Arabia integrates with the country’s Islamic philosophy and creates skilled individuals for generating a faithful generation that preserves Islamic thoughts and culture, simultaneously providing educational and technical expertise to the nation. Moreover, the Saudi’s education aims at developing a globally competent curriculum that would provide quality learning in diverse fields of modern arts and sciences. This would certainly meet the country’s need for highly skilled workforce to hinge on its rapid progress of the past decades. In addition, the effects of the KASP educational program has brought dramatic improvements to the country’s society and economy, at the same time, this revolution will have some dramatic effects on the country’s future. References: “Educational system in Saudi Arabia.” (2006). In Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission. Retrieved from http://www.sacm.org/publications/58285_edu_complete.pdf Mutua, K & Sunal, C. S. (2006). Crosscurrents and Crosscutting Themes. IAP. Taylor, C & Albasri, W. (2014). The impact of Saudi Arabia king Abdullah’s scholarship program in the U.S. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 2, 109-118. “Saudi Arabia: The world factbook.” (n. d). In CIA. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sa.html “World Data on Education VII Ed. 2010/11.” (2011, August). In Unesco’s International Bureau of Education. Retrieved from http://www.ibe.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/WDE/2010/pdf-versions/Saudi_Arabia.pdf Read More