Reform opening up Saudi Arabian education

The government of Saudi-Arabia has made crucial steps in the education sector for a change towards a more performant youth within the last decade. It is teacher training, early childhood education and modern schools that are expected to make a difference for the better.
The demands of Saudi Arabian job market are high and the majority of technical positions is taken by employees from abroad. The measures that are supposed to enable Saudis to work on these jobs are introducing new learning methods to encourage critical thinking and to engage students in open dialogues with members of different cultures and religions. The government is planning to send the teachers abroad in order to let them learn from more innovative or experienced nations.

On the other hand, there are teachers with extremist or intolerant views they impart to the students. The government announced to hold them accountable if they continue to do so.

Finally, a recent change affects the everyday life in schools and has sparked a positive reaction by liberal people: Physical education will open up for girls nation-wide. Besides the still rigorous rules that prohibit women to wear clothes of their free choice, driving cars or traveling alone, this change is considered a noteworthy success.

Editorial staff (sz)

Sources

Image credit: Photo by Tribes of the World / CC BY-SA 2.0
Informations sources: arabnews.com, reuters.com