RIYADH: The number of Saudi students who have enrolled for their university education through e-learning has reached 100,000 in different Saudi universities.

“Of the total number of students during the current academic year, male students account for 52 percent and females 48 percent,” local media reported on Saturday, quoting statistics.

Well-informed sources were quoted as saying that the Ministry of Education is planning to conduct a feasibility study of these programs, or what is called the “developed enrollment,” to know about the quality of the learning process.

E-university is one of the learning patterns of higher education that offers the unorthodox system of “integrated learning” based on information technology and communication and e-learning systems. The university presents accredited scientific degrees in programs and specializations endorsed by the Ministry of Civil Services and the relevant authorities, the report said.

The Ministry of Education has called on the rectors of Saudi universities to reduce the number of students admitted during the next academic year for undergraduate and postgraduate studies by 50 percent. This, it said, is to balance the bilateral or tripartite ratios of applicants to the college of education to about 85 percent. This will improve the situation in colleges, it said.

In a circular, the ministry has stressed the need to comply with the new controls for admission to colleges for the coming academic year, emphasizing on the importance of meeting the conditions by those who wish to seek transfer from other colleges.

The ministry explained that during the preparatory year, the condition for admission is that the applicant should have scored up to 3.75 out of the total 5 points, or 2.5 out of 4 points, in addition to to personal interviews and written tests.

In another issue, the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (MAWHIBA) and the Ministry of Education said the scores of more than 28,000 male and female students were monitored for the National Project to Identify Gifted Students.

The foundation said the educational services available for those accepted in the program will start on the first date of the program. The service will continue during the coming years if the required standards for future programs were met.

The National Project to Identify Gifted Students is aimed at identifying talented students through a method based on scientific basis and best practices to identify gifted and talented students in the scientific, technical and creative fields.