The government is spending 25 percent of its annual budget on education to empower youth and enhance its economy after the unemployment rate in the Kingdom reached 30 percent.
The government also unfolded a five-year road map after illiteracy among Saudi women rose to 19 percent, a local daily said.
In a recent report, the Education Ministry attributed the shortage of female teachers and poor transportation as the main causes for the increasing illiteracy rate. “The highest number of illiterate women can be found in villages and remote places,” the ministry said.
The government has shown a keen interest in the development of education and economy and allocated SR204 billion for education in the 2013 budget.
According to a World Bank report, the Saudi literacy rate has risen from 30 percent in 1970 to 97 percent in 2013. However, the International Monetary Fund says that improving competition in the private sector could also decrease youth unemployment in Saudi Arabia.
Habiba Ahmad, a Saudi girl working in a local hospital said: “We need to focus on communication skills and choose the right profession for sustainable growth in the education sector. Increasing productivity and efficiency in the work place is most important for long-term success, so we need to focus on loyalty toward work and career-building.”
She said that a strong education system will play a key role in enhancing the skills and knowledge of local people. It will also throw up new ideas, which will lead to economic growth.
Muhammad Omer, a Saudi student, said: “The government should focus more on higher education if it wants to expand the economy and improve literacy rates in the Kingdom. The government should provide more opportunities to talented students to study abroad, as these graduates will serve the Kingdom after the completion of studies.”
In 2009, 3.8 million Saudis were employed, which translated into an overall rate of employment of 32 percent. In 2012, the number of Saudis employed was pegged at 4.4 million and the rate of employment improved to 34 percent.
Last year, Saudi Arabia celebrated a 60 percent drop in illiteracy among men and women, bringing illiteracy levels to an all-time low of 4 percent through an action plan that will continue for 40 years.
5-year plan to address rise in women’s illiteracy
