DAMMAM, 28 September 2003 — The recent decision of the Education Ministry to make English compulsory and include computers in the curriculum for elementary students is worrying private schools, which have benefited from the lack of English and computer lessons in state schools.

When the Ministry of Education recently signed a contract worth SR65 million with Hewlett-Packard for the supply of PCs to government schools, it gave a clear signal that the education department was determined to revise the curriculum and meet modern-day needs.

Under Saudi law, Saudi students cannot attend international schools but can join private schools. Many affluent parents send their children to private Saudi schools because they feel present-day needs are not met in state schools. Some even enrol their children in schools in Bahrain.

Since fees at private schools are high, not everyone can afford to send their children there, but state education up to high school level is free.

Private Saudi schools have been selling themselves on the strength of their English and computer lessons, the quality of their lessons, their well-qualified teachers, and a “conducive and healthy environment.” A private education for their children over the years became a status symbol for affluent Saudis. Today it is not just the quality of education that matters but the reputation of the school and its social standing as well.

Another factor which gives private schools the edge over state schools is the school buildings. Many parents feel that some state school buildings are not safe and cite the Makkah school fire as an example. Many say that if the dilapidated school buildings were renovated and better safety standards were followed then they would be willing to put their children in state schools. “Why should I pay exorbitant fee to these private schools,” asked Fahd Al-Qahtani, a Dammam resident.

According to statistics from the education department, private Saudi schools have a growth rate of 6 percent and nearly 45 new private schools are opening in the Kingdom every year. The figures revealed that there were some 1,000 private schools in the country in 2003 where 139,000 students were enrolled, nearly 78 percent of them Saudis.

It has also been found that more students from private schools in terms of ratio reach higher education levels like postgraduation and professional courses like medicine and engineering than students from the government schools.

Educationists have for some time been advocating reforms in education to meet in particular the demands of the job market. They have stressed the need for schools to keep abreast of international standards in education. Computer use and English in particular are seen as essential in this process.