RIYADH, 17 July 2003 — According to a recent study by King Faisal University, 31 percent of high school graduates will not find a college or university place by the end of the decade. While private colleges and universities may be one solution to this problem, privatization of the education sector has met with a lukewarm response from academics contacted by Arab News, who mostly said they were doubtful about the standard of education provided by profit-oriented institutions.
But others welcomed the move, saying any means of expanding the higher education system should be welcomed because of the benefits to both young people and the economy.
Usama Al-Kurdi, a Shoura Council member who sits on its economic committee, told Arab News that the growing population increased demand for higher education, and economic development in recent years had the same effect.
“Economic developments have put a large demand on higher education in Saudi Arabia,” he explained. “And the number of university students has mushroomed.”
At present, some 239,000 students are enrolled in the eight state universities across the Kingdom. With a growing younger population, those numbers are likely to rise dramatically.
According to recent figures, 72.6 percent of the population is under 30, while children under 15 years of age account for 45.2 percent.
With an increasing number of women also entering the work force, the number of female students has also risen. In 2001, an estimated 65 percent of all new students in the Kingdom’s undergraduate programs were women. Seven of the eight state universities have a women’s campus but private colleges have given a greater number of women access to higher education. There are at present three women’s colleges in the Kingdom, and Effat College in Jeddah is the country’s first private, self-financing women’s university and offers a number of majors in diverse fields of study.
According to Al-Kurdi, the introduction of the private sector into higher education represents a major decision. Last month, the Ministry of Education approved the establishment of two new universities and 36 new colleges.
Dr. Humaidan Al-Humaidan, a law professor in the college of applied sciences at King Saud University, said he welcomed the move. “The establishment of private universities is a step in the right direction,” he told Arab News. “We only need to make sure that the programs they offer and their standard of education are both looked at closely.”
Regarding the privatization of state universities, Dr. Al-Humaidan said that he did not think state universities should impose a fee on their students. Tuition fees in state universities will pose a problem for those who cannot afford to pay and will thus deprive a large portion of the population from seeking higher education.
According to Dr. Al-Humaidan, private colleges and universities should make an effort to prepare students for the job market. “Educational programs should be geared to the local labor market,” he said. “Private businesses should seriously consider employing Saudis instead of hiring cheap labor from abroad.”
There is a general consensus that Saudi students ought to take up more challenging fields of study. According to Dr. Ahmad Al-Amoudi, director of the “Solar Village” and research assistant professor at King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology, one way to attract students into scientific and technological fields was to improve the method of teaching.
“Instructors should be well-qualified and should make the material simple and attractive for the students,” he said.
He emphasized that part of the problem is the way in which the material is presented to students. Professors, he said, should present the materials in such a manner as to create a genuine interest in the subject.
Al-Kurdi said that the recent growth of private universities and colleges throughout the Kingdom would benefit the national economy in the long run, saying there needed to be more cooperation between the education system and the private sector.
“There is a lot of resistance by government workers to private sector participation,” he said.
Academics in the government sector are worried about the competition and are expressing doubts about the ability of the private sector to take on this new responsibility, he said.
Dr. Al-Bunyan of King Saud University agreed that private colleges and universities were a positive thing. However, she added a note of caution. Private institutions often charge a hefty fees from their students and should therefore also provide a high standard of education in return, she said adding that she would support the establishment of private colleges and universities as long as their goals focus on the promotion of quality education and not just on money.
“The private sector is facing a major challenge,” Al-Kurdi said.
Colleges and universities should not only provide an education but have the added responsibility of preparing students for the job market, he said. Whether or not the private sector can meet this responsibility is a continuing cause for doubt and concern.
