The Shoura Council recently voted against allowing Saudi students to study at international schools operating in the Kingdom. The decision, however, exempted certain cases saying those whose special status allows it could enroll in these schools.
The decision in my view was disappointing. It does not reflect reality and to a large extent seemed to have appealed to emotions and sentiments rather than to reason. This has always been a disease that continues to blight our life and prevents us from taking the initiative or subjecting matters to rational judgment.
The decision, however, was based on a free discussion — I am trying here to avoid using the term “democratic” — where every member of the Council was given the chance to speak. When the issue was put to vote, the block that opposed the resolution won by a 66-vote majority.
The vote came amid a flurry of expressions of sentiments, reminding us of the vocal battles that are still raging in our literary clubs. It ignored several studies that established the following:
There are at present some 1,200 foreign schools in the Kingdom with 81,000 students. Of these numbers the Saudis make up just 7 percent, meaning there are only 572 Saudis students among the number.
The Council was presented with a report by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the special status of the children of Saudi diplomats serving abroad and the difficulties they continue to face in receiving continuous education while their parents keep moving from one country to another.
The Council dismissed a request from the Ministry of Education to amend the law governing the presence of Saudi students in foreign schools. The request cited a flood of requests submitted to the minister by parents asking for exemption.
The Council also ignored the opinion of the Ministry of the Interior which supported the amendment call after being convinced of the presence of a problem that needs to be addressed.
Saudi society has opened up to the outside world with its diverse cultures and yet managed to maintain and protect its national identity and religious affiliation. The different kinds of knowledge and experience that our students gain from interacting with people from other nations build up to form a cultural heritage that in the end benefits society.
By refusing to allow Saudi children study in foreign schools the Council has effectively decided to stand against freedom of choice, which is a sacred right that solely rests with the parents of these children. The parents are keener to ensure the welfare and interest of their children than anyone else.
Arab News From the Local Press 23 July 2003
