JEDDAH, 7 October — King Abdul Aziz University (KAAU) in Jeddah has started to accept students who do not meet the traditional entry requirements for admission. Such students, whose high school scores are below par, are being offered a part-time university course at SR3,000 per term.
Jeddah’s two private colleges, Dar Al Hekma and Effat College, have also tried to attract students who failed to gain admission to KAAU. However, those students can now choose to pay SR3,000 per term at KAUU or SR40,000-50,000 at the private colleges.
Dr. Hayfa Jamal-Al-Lail, Dean of Effat College in Jeddah, said: “As an educational institution sharing common goals with both private and government colleges and universities, we sincerely welcome any effort to expand the educational opportunities of our high school graduates. Each institution plays its role in higher education in Saudi Arabia. Our goals at Effat College, for example, are to reinforce the educational foundation and offer the highest quality academic programs and experience. If we do this successfully, we will be chosen by students from among the many options available to them.”
Asked about Effat College’s reaction to KAAU’s decision, she said: “We cannot and should not divert our efforts from our primary mission nor, in response to outside pressures, will we lower our standards for accepting students. To do so would be counterproductive.
“Effat College is primarily interested in cooperation rather than competition. We are confident that there will be a continued demand for our unique offerings if we continue to focus on developing the college in order to prepare future women leaders.”
Sources inside the college confirm that because of KAAU’s new program, there have been fewer applicants this year for places in the private colleges.
Dr. Nedaa Janbi, dean of Dar Al Hekma College, said she thinks the KAAU move is designed to accept a greater number of high school graduates at very low fees compared to the fees in private colleges, “Undoubtedly, this has put KAAU in competition with private education. At the same time, it raises some questions: How will the quality of education be affected? Are the academic majors and specialities compatible with market demands? I believe that the education system should be characterized by good planning and the ability to allow each institution certain advantages.”
About the new competition, she said, “Our reaction toward KAAU or to any other institution will be the same. Our aim at Dar Al Hekma is to provide major courses of study which are in demand in the market and which will make our graduates employable because of their capabilities and skills.”
Dr. Nedaa also said that acceptance at Dar Al Hekma is based on high secondary school scores and the student’s ability to maintain those high scores during their college years.
“Our criteria are mainly derived from academic quality rather than materialistic considerations. After all, we are here to cooperate and to expand the Kingdom’s higher educational scene, she added.
