RIYADH, 19 March 2008 — Jaber Al-Abdulmohsen is a 58-year-old Saudi man, who decided to go to college recently to pursue studies in special education but he learned quickly that there were few options for older students.
“I had to delay going to college due to my parent’s health,” he said. “And after nine years, I couldn’t pursue further education because higher education institutions in the Kingdom do not accept applications from those who have been out of college for more than five years.”
So Al-Abdulmohsen dismissed the idea of continuing his education until much later in life when he was accepted at the only college in the Kingdom that admits older students: the Arab Open University, Saudi Arabia, an accredited institution affiliated with The Open University, UK.
Al-Abdulmohsen is one of 105 students over the age of 50, a demographic at the university that has more than doubled in the past five years. Sixteen percent of these older students are women.
Abdullah Al-Salamah, rector of the Arab Open University, Saudi Arabia, said that the growing numbers of older students seeking admission to college is a challenge confronting all higher education institutions in the Kingdom, public and private.
Not only would the Ministry of Higher Education need to lift the ban on accepting students who have been out of college for more than five years but, over time, institutions need to incorporate continuing-education programs such as ones found in universities in North America and Europe.
These programs are specifically designed to help older students overcome their unique challenges such as learning computers and balancing the demands of college with job and domestic responsibilities.
“Some students really need special courses that can assist them in upgrading their skills, especially considering they are returning to college after many years,” said Faizah, a 42-year-old Saudi woman with a bachelor’s degree, who would like to go back to university to improve her spoken and written English.
The Kingdom offers free college education to its citizens seeking to attend public universities; the government also offers scholarships to study abroad.
Increasing Pressure
According to the Ministry of Education, graduates are growing by nine percent annually, which puts increasing pressure on these institutions to make room for those seeking to go to college.
Amira Almenieir, the head of student affairs at Alyamamah private college in Riyadh, admitted that the institution does not have any senior students.
She pointed out that the college would consider giving conditional acceptance to some cases, especially for those who are already in the work force but are seeking to hone their skills and knowledge.
Abdulrahman Bawazeer, 48, is one such student. Bawazeer, who has a bachelor’s degree in business administration, took up a job at Saudi Arabian Airlines. He said that when he was younger, having a high school diploma was good enough to find a decent job. Today, he says, his bachelor’s degree is barely enough.
“Throughout my career, I have been passed up for promotion due to my limited educational background,” he said, adding that he would like to go back to school to pursue advanced studies in business administration with the aim of starting his own business to carry him into his golden years.
Continuing education is not easy even when policies make it easier to do so, as Sarah Mohammed found out.
The 53-year-old Saudi woman dropped out of the Open University because she couldn’t balance her job, her charitable activities and her domestic responsibilities. “There’s no reason to stop learning, but I just couldn’t make it because I couldn’t manage my time,” she said.
