The Fletcher School Online Journal for issues related to Southwest Asia and Islamic Civilization Spring 2006 Toward a National Education Development Paradigm in the Arab World: A Comparative Study of Saudi Arabia and Qatar Sarah Yamani explore such issues through a comparative case Introduction study of two countries in the Persian Gulf: Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. By examing the historical, cultural, economic and political contexts, this study In today’s knowledge-crazed world, aims to address why one country developed a education is the cornerstone of human comprehensive education reform system while the development. While it is doubtful that education other chose a more cautious approach. can stand alone in achieving this goal, it is certainly one of the most instrumental factors. The acquisition of knowledge gives humans a sense of Education Development and the Arab World freedom—the power to think—that in turn becomes a means to develop other types of Since September 11, 2001, the Arab world has freedom, including freedom of speech, freedom of been exposed to great scrutiny. Education has association, and freedom of political and economic become a critical issue in defining a state of decline 1 participation. Therefore, it is not surprising that that exists in many Arab countries. While this part many countries have identified education as one of of the world is historically known as the cradle of the main priorities for developing their societies. scientific discovery and learning, it has largely More importantly, education is a universal concern failed to keep up. Even though Arab countries for both developing and developed countries. spend a higher percentage of GDP on education Developing countries continually aspire to than any other developing region, the 2002 Arab modernize their education systems, and developed Human Development Report stated that countries pursue the adoption of the best education educational achievements in the Arab countries as reforms and structure for their systems. In the end, a whole were still considered modest when all countries hope to gain from their education compared to the rest of the world and even when 2 systems more effective citizens who can be compared to other developing countries. productive participants, domestically and abroad, Moreover, the Report estimated that in markets and communities. approximately 40 percent of adult Arabs are To understand how modernization efforts in illiterate, two-thirds of whom are women. While education can work in one country, one must look the 2002 Report emphasized the deficient at the foundations of an education system, how that qualitative nature of education systems in the Arab system has evolved, and whether it can modernize World, the 2003 Report highlighted that Arab within its present context. This paper seeks to countries, “lack[ed] an integrated vision of the 3 Sarah Yamani, Fletcher MALD 2005. Sarah Yamani is a education process and its objectives.” native of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. She has worked within the Furthermore, the report stated that the quality of UN system at United Nations Conference on Trade and education excludes quantitative resources and Development and United Nations Educational, depends more on organizational aspects of the Scientific and Cultural Organisation. She is currently educational process, or means of delivery and an education policy advisor with the RAND Corporation evaluation. In addition to the region’s growing in Qatar, revising the country’s national education knowledge gap, amongst the educated elite, regime. roughly one-fourth of all university graduates, © The Fletcher School – Al Nakhlah – Tufts University 160 Packard Avenue – Medford, MA 02155-7082 USA – Tel: +1.617.627.3700 2 Al Nakhlah emigrate to other countries, creating a large brain training to meet the future needs of the labor 6 drain. market. The need for higher education institutions in The Evolution of the Saudi and Qatari the country has been heightened since September Education Systems 11, because many Saudi students have been rejected visas to study in the U.S. Additionally, the following reform initiatives were also adopted: Prior to modern education, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, like their neighboring Gulf countries, • A new process of evaluating and assessing the followed a traditional form of education called Saudi school curriculum by eliminating any Kuttab. Students in Kuttab schools learned through possibly offensive language that promotes rote memorization, hate and intolerance towards the West from studying Quranic verses Saudi textbooks. The government claims that Although women in and religious principles. only 5 percent (some reports say 15 percent) of Beginning in the 1950s, a Saudi Arabia remain the curriculum has been deemed more formal education prohibited from holding inappropriate or disturbing and that the system was adopted in material has been ‘updated’ and ministerial positions, a Saudi Arabia and Qatar. ‘modernized’.7 The men’s education woman has been • The creation of student councils in public system in both countries schools in an effort to educate young Saudis recently appointed as was divided into three “about civic responsibilities and participatory dean of Qatar’s Arab stages: the primary stage 8 (six years), intermediate governance”. Open University stage (three years), and • Opening up private higher education to secondary stage (three foreign investment, as well as encouraging the years). Girls’ education was also included and establishment of private higher education funded by each respective government. institutions. Recently, the Arab Open University (AOU) has opened a campus in Today, the education policy in Saudi Arabia 9 aims to promote the “belief in One God, Islam as Jeddah. The student body is comprised of the way of life, and Muhammad as God’s 25,000 students in three undergraduate 4 Messenger.” Similarly, and according to the programs. The university offers Qatari Ministry of Education, Qatar’s education correspondence courses in computer science, policy builds on two notions: that Islam is Qatar’s information technology, English language, national religion and that Qatar’s constitution is the business administration and teacher training. 5 Dr. Maha Abdullah Orkubi was appointed country’s source for laws and regulations. Dean of the University on October 2003, the In Saudi Arabia, there are eight major first Saudi woman to ever hold a senior universities, where five of them accept both male academic position. and female students. In Qatar, the major public • English language instruction: classes have higher education institution is Qatar University, been introduced to the sixth grade (instead of which is currently undergoing major reform efforts the seventh grade) in order to improve English to meet its government’s objectives of raising skills at the intermediary and secondary school academic qualifications and efficiency to confront levels. This has been complemented with the forces of modern change. teacher-training programs to increase the amount of English teachers. Educational Reform Initiatives at the National • Teacher training programs: The government Level has introduced two pilot programs, one in Jeddah and the other in Riyadh, for training teachers on innovative teaching methods. Saudi Arabia • Expansion of technical and vocational education Over a year ago, the Interior Minister stated • Class Server Project: the Ministry of Education that the aim of the Saudi educational reform efforts and Microsoft Arabia have recently signed a is to enhance Islamic values and respect for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to opinions of others. He denied reports that Saudi bring improved Information, Computer and Arabia was under pressure from the United States Communications Technologies (ICT) education to change the national curriculum. In addition, he to schools under Microsoft’s ‘Partners in said that the aim of Saudi education reform is to 10 Learning’ global initiative. The agreement place more emphasis on scientific and technical © The Fletcher School – Al Nakhlah – Tufts University Spring 2006 – Sarah Yamani 3 includes teacher training, an e-learning 1. Autonomy: for schools and teachers in gateway, a digital curriculum and data center. choosing their staff, teaching methods, and • For girls’ education colleges, the government approaches in dealing with the needs of has launched pilot programs in distance individual students and parents, all within a learning through the Internet in an effort to framework of international curriculum empower professional women and university standards graduates in Saudi Arabia with requisite skills, 2. Accountability: through a transparent including information technology. The assessment system that would hold all school government has also started a training leaders, teachers and parents responsible for program for academic staff on WebCT the success of students programs for e-learning. 3. Variety: in schooling alternatives, encouraging schools to engage in different types of Qatar instructional programs 4. Choice: for parents in selecting schools that Education for a New Era they think best suits their children In an effort to transform Qatari schools into a Supreme Education Council: Structure and Functions world-class education system, the Qatar has developed a groundbreaking education reform The organization responsible for overseeing initiative known as Education for a New Era. The the goals of Qatar’s education reform initiative is only one