The Nature of Saudi Education Policy

Paper Summary:

The purpose of this paper is to underline the relationship between the elements of the state of Saudi Arabia and the reality these elements shape, with a focus on the educational system the Saudi state set in motion, especially in the second part of the 20th century. The focus of the paper is on a wide account of the education system in Saudi Arabia, with all its stages of evolution, values, and influences. The first part constitutes a brief historical background of the Saudi state. The second aspect dealt with in this paper involves the actual evolution of the education system in Saudi Arabia.

Outline:
Historical Background
The Evolution of the Educational System in Saudi Arabia
Current Issues in the Educational System in Saudi Arabia
Reformation of the Educational System in Saudi Arabia
Women and the Educational Reform
Conclusions

From the Paper:

"Therefore the stand of the official executive branch represents a clear distinction between the need to develop and the spiritual needs of each Muslim. Despite the fact that first and foremost every Saudi thinks himself as a Muslim and then as a Saudi citizen, the recent priorities of the government tend to change focus and develop more initiatives that would eventually develop the country.
"The perspective offered by the reformist attempts that are underway in Saudi Arabia is relatively encouraging because it touches on serious yet sensitive issues dealing with the social and political structure of the state. At the same time it is a democratic exercise, from a double point of view. On the one hand, it promotes compromise among the political and religious forces, which is between the Saudi Family and the Wahhabis; on the other hand, it shows the population the state's desire to modernize and come into agreement with the rest of the democratic and prosperous countries.
"However, an important element most opinions seem not to agree upon is the situation of women in the society and in the educational system reform."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Al-Hariri, Rafeda. (1987) Islam's Point of View on Women's Education in Saudi Arabia. Comparative Education, Vol. 23, No. 1, Special Number (10): Sex Differences in Education, pp. 51-57. Accessed 8 July 2007, from http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0305-0068%281987%2923%3A1%3C51%3AIPOVOW%3E2.0.CO%3B2-U&size=SMALL&origin=JSTOR-reducePage
• Baki, R. (2004) Gender-segregated education in Saudi Arabia: Its impact on social norms and the Saudi labor market. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 12(28). Accessed 8 July 2007, from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v12n28/
• CIA. (2007) Saudi Arabia. CIA World Factbook. Accessed July 6, 2007 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sa.html
• Doumato, Eleanor A. (1992) Gender, Monarchy, and National Identity in Saudi Arabia. British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 19, No. 1. pp. 31-47. Accessed July 7, 2007, from http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=1353-0194%281992%2919%3A1%3C31%3AGMANII%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Y
• Doumato, Eleanor A. (1992) Gender, Monarchy, and National Identity in Saudi Arabia. British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 19, No. 1. pp. 31-47. Accessed 10 July 2007, from http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=1353-0194%281992%2919%3A1%3C31%3AGMANII%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Y

More papers on The Nature of Saudi Education Policy:

• Term Paper # 105574 : "Public Policy Implementation"
• Book Review # 112874 : "The Nature of Leadership"
• Essay # 105355 : "The Role of Government in Policy-Making"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: