RIYADH, 23 March — The Kingdom loses SR12.35 billion annually as wasted education funds in terms of the number of students who fail or drop out of the educational system, Al-Riyadh Arabic daily reported yesterday, quoting a study conducted by Dr. Abdul Rahman Saegh, professor of educational planning and economy at King Saud University in Riyadh.
He estimated money wasted at public schools affiliated to the Education Ministry to be SR6.299 billion — 31 percent of the ministry’s budget for 1999.
“The wastage at girls’ schools under the Presidency of Girls’ Education is estimated at SR6.053 billion, bringing the total to SR12.35 billion,” the study pointed out.
Saegh said that the education sector will require a budget allocation of SR80-90 billion by 2020, when the Kingdom’s population is expected to reach 30 million and the number of students more than eight million. At present there are 4.8 million students enrolled at the Kingdom’s schools, colleges and universities.
The study pointed out that the present universities and colleges in the Kingdom can only accommodate 37.2 percent of secondary school graduates. “The number of secondary school graduates during the seventh Five-Year Development Plan (2000-2005) is expected to reach 564,000 boys and 753,000 girls,” it added.
It also highlighted the educational progress achieved by the country under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd, who gave priority to the sector.
“Allocation for the education sector increased from SR597 million (3.6 percent of the gross domestic product) in 1970 to SR42.9 billion in 1999 (8.2 percent of GDP or 26 percent of the total budget),” it added.
Saegh called for special courses to be established to qualify Saudi female graduates for various jobs in the country. He also stressed the need to develop the Kingdom’s education system in tune with modern trends.
