Asharq Al-Awsat carried two important news items last Saturday that highlighted the future of education in Saudi Arabia. The first was about the appointment of Princess Al-Jowhara bint Fahd as president of the Women’s University in Riyadh. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah made the appointment by a royal decree. No woman has ever made it to that position before, which means that there is now a larger scope for women’s education to witness growth after being under the control of men for so long.
The second news item was about the Shoura Council’s preparations to discuss the Ministry of Education’s decision to allow private schools to develop and teach their curriculum in other languages.
Religion will be taught in Arabic. In my opinion, this is the core of the public curriculum especially since there are colleges in Saudi Arabia that teach their entire curriculum in English. Many students are deprived the chance of enrolling in such colleges because they lack English language skills. It is thus unfortunate that one Shoura member has already expressed his plan to reject the idea.
Despite the arguments that could arise from changing the language in schools, I believe that allowing schools to develop their curriculums is a very important step. It would change our educational system and bring life into outdated methods and books. Giving the private schools the flexibility to put together their unique curriculums would definitely create a sense of competition between educational institutions and would help connect these curriculums with reality and current changes.
I believe that this decision represents a key to creating transitional and important changes in the educational system. The positive effects and impacts for the future will not be limited to private schools only, but will extend to the entire educational system. So let us welcome this educational change that we have wanted for so long.
