Introduction
Education is one of the key pillars for the development of modern Saudi Arabia. The benefits of modern education in this kingdom are wide spread. Education touches every aspect of life in this society and thus not only part of the kingdoms socio-economic activities but also a tool for enlightenment as well as a means to globalization.
Efforts to modernize education to cater for the current and expanding needs of the Kingdom began in 1953 and have continued to the present day. These efforts saw the establishment and expansion of public education through development of education institutions such as schools, colleges and other forms of tertiary education institutions.
The efforts also saw the reconstruction of the national curriculum as part of the Kingdom’s national development plans. The Saudi national curriculum is highly religious. It borrows heavily from Islam. Not only is the curriculum content shaped by Islam but also requires student to spend most of the times learning and reciting Quran.
Thus the education has promoted Islam over other religions and as such has led the educational system to be criticized as a system that does not tolerate other religions. There have been fairly commendable attempts at promoting gender equality in the provision of education opportunities. The royal family and the government have required that both men and women be given equal opportunities in education.
However this has faced several challenges. This is because the conservative culture overtly grants more advantages to men than women as well as limiting the opportunities for socialization between men and women.
The kingdom also has an assessment criterion that needs massive improvements to ensure that the Saudi children acquire the necessary skills and knowledge as well as make them globally competitive, while promoting science and technology.
Furthermore education in this kingdom is purposed to produce Shariah compliant professionals. Therefore the outcome of education in Saudi Arabia is influenced by social-political as well as economic factors.
Education system in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The kingdom has a centralized education system that was established way back in 1925. Modernization of the system did not begin until after 1953. Improvements have continued even in present times both at the infrastructural level as well as curriculum levels. In 1958, the kingdom joined other members of the Arab League in adopting and implements a similar education system.
The system consists of a three year intermediate level of education which is sandwiched between a 6 year elementary level and a three year tertiary level. The system is based on the philosophy of providing well informed human labor for the kingdom needs as well as being part of national and economic development.
Following the adoption of that system by the Arab League the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia established an education system that has the following levels. There is a pre-elementary level of education which prepares both boys and girls between the ages of four to five years to join the elementary level of education.
The elementary level is as six year course that enrolls children at the age of six years. Education at this level is mandatory for both boys and girls and is taken to be the prerequisite for the development of the entire educational program. Each of the school year at this level consists of two semesters. Every semester is made up of seventeen weeks which includes a two weeks of examinations.
Each school day has six lessons, termed as classes, 45 minutes each. Suffice to say that boys and girls at this level are enrolled in different schools. The intermediate level enrolls boy and girls after the elementary level. It is very similar to the elementary level in terms of the number of classes per week as well as the duration of the two semester year.
English is taken as a compulsory subject at this level. Students have to write an exam at the end of the three years to attain the Intermediate School Certificate. This certificate becomes a requirement to enroll in any type of secondary school (Saudi Arabia Cultural Mission n.d.)
Secondary education is categorized in two forms. Regular secondary school enrolls children between 15 and 19 years of age. During the first year of secondary school students take general a studies curriculum. For the remaining two years students have to choose either natural studies, religious instructions that involve Islam and Quranic studies, or administration and social sciences.
Natural sciences are a preserve of student who maintains good grades in math’s and sciences. The school year consists of 2, twenty two weeks semesters which include two weeks of exam. Classes per week vary from 26 to 33 each week. Vocational and technical secondary school was set up to cater for Saudi Arabian vocation and technical human resource needs.
The school prepares student in agricultural, commercial or industrial training. The purpose of this school is to equip the Saudian student with the relevant technological skills, and thus make them keep up with the global technological development (Saudi Arabia Cultural Mission n.d.). The figure below shows a map of the Saudi Arabia educational system
The Saudian higher education consists of colleges and universities that offer degree course to this wishing to pursue education past the secondary school level. Universities, and colleges offer bachelors degrees, masters as well as doctoral Courses.
This level of education is for the evaluation of the kingdom’s national as well as economic development plans. It is the greatest resource in that is used in realizing the potential of the Saudi people (Saudi Arabia Cultural Mission n.d.).
The kingdom education system also has provision for special education. It caters fro students with special needs as well as marginalized groups.
Such students with disabilities like blindness, deafness or any other physical or mental disability are catered for as the ministry of education established special schools to cater for them. There are also consistent efforts to expand educational facilities to cater for adult leaders as well as there education of the girl child (Saudi Arabia Cultural Mission n.d.).
Education and religion
Islam is the heart of Saudi Arabian education system. As such the Islam teaching forms the basis of the education system. The system has set time every week where students have to study the holy teachings from Quran as well as the Islamic traditional customs. Islam theocracy is studied from elementary level of education up to the higher education level and is compulsory.
Students are expected to not only tot memorize the Quran Holy Scriptures but also apply them to every day life. Therefore religion becomes part of the wider education and its influences views in all subjects studied in school such as psychology, economic, languages and others (State University n.d.).
The aim of the Saudi education system is to produce Shariah compliant professional who will provide expertise to serve the kingdoms deeply Islamic community (Rugh 1973).
Saudi Arabia sees Islam as part of its national identity. It has thus adopted very conservative Muslim philosophies to form its culture. Education, being heavily religious has not been spared. To teach Islam in school the Saudi ministry of education has thus published books that are to be used in Saudi public schools.
It has been found out that such text books contain conservative Islamic doctrinal messages and the books are intentionally released for use in public schools. A research conducted to evaluate the content of text books used in Saudi Arabian school reveals that the education system is propagating slam as the only true religion while declaring other religions as false and enemies to Islam.
Such text books propagate the Wahhabism, a very conservative Islam doctrine, which is introduced at the elementary level of education and reinforced through the subsequent levels of education (Center for Religious Freedom of Hudson Institute 2008).
Messages contained in Saudi Arabian public schools text books
A survey on education materials used in Saudi Arabian schools returned worrying findings. It has been revealed that text books used in public schools contain messages that may lead to the promotion of hatred and conflict amongst Saudi Arabian students and people of other faiths.
The Wahhabi doctrine taught in Saudi Arabian schools explain that the Shiites and Sufi Muslims are polytheist while some textbook have termed the Sunni Islam as a bad religion. The Wahhabi doctrine goes further to teach Saudi children that Islam must be interpreted as literally as possible and should thus be practiced in it original form. As such, any one who only sees Islam as only theoretical is an unbeliever.
Concerning Christians and Jews, the Wahhabi doctrine terms them as infidels and as such do not deserve to be befriended. It sees Jews and Christians as enemies of the true faith who must be changed and fought at all times.
The Saudi children are also taught that the conflict between Muslim will always continue and Islam will eventually win as it is the religion of truth and righteousness. The text books also calls the Saudi children to holy war to protect Islam (Center for Religious Freedom of Hudson Institute 2008).
Center for Religious Freedom of Hudson Institute (2008) concludes that the idea of teaching religion to school children is a noble idea and has been in practice in many parts of the world. So the kingdom of Saudi Arabia cannot be faulted on wanting to teach religion in schools. However, out of zeal to teach Islam, the ministry has gone over board. Religion should be taught for spiritual enlightenment and nourishment.
However, religious curriculum is going against such benefits. The country’s deeply religious instruction seems to be promoting conflict and intolerance amongst various religions. It also abhors any form of pluralism. The text books promote violence against other religions and as such do not respect the basic human right to freedom of worship.
This is in contravention with the UN charter on human rights as well as the kingdoms international responsibilities and obligations towards promotion of peace and tolerance among the citizens of the world.
As a result the Saudi Arabian ministry of education has been prevailed upon to recall such text book from use. However as at the year 2008, there had been vey little effort by the said ministry to either recall or review such message contained in such text books.
Education and gender
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been one of the conservative Muslim countries that have seen the need to provide equal education opportunities for both boys and girls. Women in many communities in the world have been discriminated when it comes to education opportunities.
In that case the Saudi Arabian government sought to guarantee that the girl child has equal opportunities as the boy child at all level of education. As such consistent efforts have been made to educate the Saudi woman. The result is an almost equal enrollment in the numbers of boys and girls. The figure below reflects the success of the attempts to educate the girl child in Saudi Arabia.
However certain issues still needs to be addressed in relation to education and gender. There is evidence of gender segregation and discrimination in the kingdoms education system. The education of the woman in Saudi Arabia is still facing opposition from religiously conservative quarters despite the fact that the government started supporting the education of the girl child from the 1960s.
Women education has been treated separately from boy child education. As such, the ministry of education formed the General Presidency for Girl’s Education. This board was mandated with the responsibility to ensure that girls were only exposed to the type of education that was suited for them.
Women in Saudi Arabia are still restricted to physical sciences such architecture, mathematics, engineering, physics, computer sciences among others. The board stated that the girls child should be taught home economics as well as languages and history.
The heavily Wahhabi-doctrine-influenced education curriculum in Saudi Arabia has stipulated gender roles as well as the relationship between boys and girls. Girls are taught basic home skills such as home economics and how to take care of their children.
Furthermore girls from an early age are taught how to behave towards their husbands. Some of the text book suggests that women are not to speak before a man and that wives must totally submit to heir husband at all times. Furthermore women are not encouraged to be alone with men whom they are not very closely related to as this may lead to inordinate relationships.
Such close contact is discouraged by the education as away of countering sin (Doumato and Posusney 2003). Moreover, the education system in respect to the Wahhabi doctrine of limiting the contact between men and women has offered separate school for boys and girls (Sedgwick 2001).
However such conservative approach has faced criticism and reproach from within and without the kingdom. Al-Hariri (1987) argues that such conservatism is just an ancient custom that has no Islamic roots and that it reduces a woman to a second class citizen of the world whose only place is to be a slave to man.
Prophet Mohamed as Al-Hariri (1987) explains taught that men and women are equal before Allah and that they are “Complementary to each other.” As such they should have equal opportunities and therefore need to be educated equal opportunities that do not portray any form of gender bias. Furthermore, the same teachings regarding public decorum and dressing for women should also be taught to men.
Such criticism together with the growth of privately owned schools has had a great influence on the nature of education. These schools have opened their doors to offer the same curriculum and subject to both boys and girls. Girls are allowed to take all subjects including sciences provided they pass entry examinations.
The curriculum in these private schools is also influenced by secular education and as such religion is not necessarily compulsory. Therefore the influence of secularism is not only being felt in the education sector but n the Saudian society. More women educated in these private schools are slowly violating the way a woman behaved in the traditional Saudian community.
These women have adopted a more liberal disposition. There is an emergence of a class of women, the alumni of private schools, seen in affluent districts with bold dress codes that among other things do not cover their faces; covering of the face by women is a requirement of the traditional Saudian culture. Furthermore, the schools also mixed.
The opening up of the education opportunities is however a preserve of the rich. This is because private schools that offer such opportunities are very expensive and thus only the rich can afford. The poor majority are still stuck with the conservative curriculum taught in public schools. This further shows the ugly nature of societal inequalities in the country (Doumato & Posusney 2003).
Quality versus quantity
The need to promote provision of education has seen the government through the ministry of education seeks to increase the number of educational l institutions to cater for increasing demand of education. In the year 2010 alone, the government committed in excess of $US 35 billion equivalent to the development of education.
Furthermore the government has also given incentives to private property owners to rent them to be used as schools. This has seen an upsurge of school in the country. Critics argue that such huge amount of resources is only focused on quantitative increase in education at the expense of the quality of education. Such a move experts argue has had very negative effect on the quantity of education (Sadaawi 2010).
The kingdom poor educational standards are the bane of the country’s social economic development according to public opinion reports. There is an increasing concern that the education is too religious and theoretical. Most students argue that it doesn’t help that they spend too much time studying religious morals, at the expense of such important subject like science.
Teachers, students argue, just regurgitate knowledge as it exists in books. There “nothing of practical value” in the education system and as results the Saudi employer is complaining that colleges and universities are graduating student with very limited practical skills (Faith World 2011).
Sadaawi (2010) explains that the ministry of education has acknowledged the challenge and instigated a series of measures to ensure that the quality of education is not lost in the rush to build more schools. Among such measures include a project adopted from Australia that is aimed at addressing student specific needs, is more interactive and technical oriented.
Furthermore the ministry has implemented a school evaluation program that addresses the entire process of education. The ministry has also upgraded the ethical and professional standards for the entire personnel involved in education process. Most importantly there has been efforts to promote the development of cognitive, creative, problem, solving and critical thinking skill amongst Saudi Arabian students.
Assessment issues in the Saudi curriculum
In line with the kingdom’s effort to improve the quality standards of education in, the curriculum assessment methods are viewed as ways to reform the education system and project it towards future prosperity. However the current assessment criterion is disjointed and needs improvement.
This is because the curriculum lack in so many areas such as performance standards, disjointed curriculum information generation mechanism, among other short comings. In this case there is need to re evaluate the assessment methods used in the country (Sadaawi 2010)
Efforts have been made to review the kingdoms assessment criteria. A proposal has been presented for adoption to the ministry of education. The proposal addresses such areas as follows: the curriculum is to teach as well assess the development of theoretical as well technical and cognitive abilities of the Saudi children.
The curricular is to ensure that graduates from Saudi Arabian school are not only competitive in the region but also globally. As such the new assessment criteria must generation valid and reliable information in the areas such as cognitive curriculum outcomes, the students’ attitudes toward specific subjects as well as the learning environment.
Moreover the proposal suggests the development of assessment tools and instruments such as scoring rubrics to ensure that both the content knowledge and application is tested appropriately. Over and above collecting information about the curriculum, the new assessment method proposed is to also record and analyze that information and use fro the development of future educational needs.
Conclusion
Saudi Arabian is such a conservative community and as such is not always open to change. As such it has found itself net developing at the same pace despite being one of the richest counties 9n the world due to its massive oil reserves. Its education is facing a myriad of social political challenges. The education system has been the bane of the country’s development plans.
This is because it does not embrace practical education. It supports a religious based education that is inclined at producing religious compliant graduates. While this is not entirely wrong, religious education is taught at the expense of practical based subjects. This has greatly impacted educational standards negatively. Other than this gender issues are nit adequately addressed as women still find themselves segregated.
Equal opportunities for both boys and girl only exist in private schools, leaving many girls who attend public school subject to such segregationist educational practices. Furthermore text books used in schools have been found to contain deep religious message that promote religious discontent.
Despite the government current efforts to review the education system, the country needs to carry out radical reforms and modernize its education system and goals. This will enable the country to develop at the same pace with its peers.
Reference List
Al-Hariri, R. 1987. Islam’s Point of View on Women’s Education in Saudi Arabia. Comparative Education23(1). Web.
Al Sadaawi, A. 2010.Saudi National Assessment of Educational Progress (SNAEP). International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership 5(11). Web.
Center for Religious Freedom of the Hudson Institute. 2008. Update: Saudi Arabia’s Curriculum of Intolerance with Excerpts from Saudi Ministry of Education – Textbooks for Islamic Studies. Web.
Doumato, E., and Posusney, M. 2003. Women and globalization in the Arab Middle East: genders, economy and society. Colorado: Lynne Reiner Publishers.
Faith World. 2011. Saudis want more science in religion-heavy education. Reuters. Web.
Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission. Education system in Saudi Arabia 2006. Web.
Sedgwick, R. 2001. Education in Saudi Arabia. WENR. Web.
State University. Saudi Arabia – Educational System—overview. Web.
Rugh, W. 1973. Emergence of a New Middle Class in Saudi Arabia. Middle East Journal 27(1). Web.