User:Ayten.Alqahtani

Education in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

canva.com

Objective

This overview of the Saudi Arabian educational system covers alternatives for home schooling, special needs education, and elementary and secondary education.

The history of the Education system in Saudi Arabia

General Education

In Saudi Arabia, the educational system has significantly changed since 1932, when it was founded. During that time, only children from upper-class families had access to education. In Saudi Arabia, there are over 30,000 schools and more than 50 government and private universities. All Saudi nationals are entitled to free education. After the birth of Islam in 632 AD, Muslim states established libraries, schools, and universities that were unlike anything in the world. During this period, the Islamic world made significant contributions in fields such as physics, astronomy, philosophy, and medicine. Europe was in the Dark Ages during this time, and the Islamic world was a center for learning. Scientific methods developed by Muslim scientists and scholars during the Golden Age became the basis of modern scientific research.   Saudi Arabia's education system has significantly improved over the years, and it is expected to continue growing in the future. This will allow it to become a more prominent force in the world. It is already capable of providing a wide range of education to its citizens, and there is still room for expansion. The Saudi Arabian government is also heavily involved in the country's education system, as it is the one that created and controls a large portion of the country's educational facilities. According to Al-Rashidi and Phan, education accounts for 25% of the nation's total budget.

The History of Special Education in Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, the education system had to accommodate the needs of children with various types of disabilities due to the country's growing number of students with these conditions. In 1958, male blindness was first observed, and in 1960, female learners were brought to the teachers' attention. In 1971, the system started providing assistance to those with learning disabilities. There are also resource rooms that can help children with moderate and mild impairments. The country has made significant efforts to ensure that all children have the education they need regardless of their backgrounds. The Saudi government's support for the establishment of special schools and other educational facilities for children with disabilities has been acknowledged by Aldabas. In 2015, the Ministry of Education sponsored various initiatives aimed at helping children with disabilities. Also, as the country's private schools started to emerge, the government had to accommodate students who would have a hard time following traditional methods. According to Al-Mousa, a national facility for the blind was established in 1960. It was designed to accommodate people with various kinds of disabilities. The Ministry of Education is responsible for providing accommodations for students with disabilities. It also continues to implement programs that make learning more accessible to everyone. These include segregating schools and placing children with special needs in general public schools. The implementation of special education programs in Saudi Arabia has accelerated due to the government's increasing resources. According to Alqahtani (2017), children who receive the right interventions perform 21% better than their peers. This is because the establishment of facilities for disabled children and the development of effective assistance programs are both successful. Despite the progress that has been made, there are still many issues that remain regarding the implementation of special education programs in Saudi Arabia.

Intellectual Disability in Saudi Arabia:

A Historical Perspective

The paper aims to look into the history of intellectual disabilities in Saudi Arabia. According to Aldabas, the first step in addressing these issues was in 1971 when the country's government established a special school for those with intellectual disabilities. The Saudi government has since funded and opened various programs and facilities for these individuals. In 2018, AlMedlij and Rubinstein-vila noted that education for those with intellectual disabilities is meant to fulfill the law's requirement for providing them with free and adequate education and rehabilitation services. Initially, there was only one school for those with intellectual disability in the country. Since then, the nation has greatly improved its understanding of this variety. It has become one of the most integrated countries in the region. Saudi Arabia's definition of intellectual disability is different from that of other developed countries due to the country's use of the term learning disability. According to AL-Kahtani, the condition is mainly defined by the presence of differences in an individual's functional performance. It is categorized according to the student's IQ score. According to Madhesh and Alharbi, Saudi Arabia has laws that are in line with international standards, but it is still slow to adopt the necessary approaches. In 2019, Alnhadi noted that the country's children tend to have positive attitudes toward those with intellectual disabilities. In 2011, Alquraini noted that disabled children receive various types of assistance, such as physical and occupational therapy. They are also provided with food, shelter, and money at specialized schools. The curriculum of these schools is similar to that of their peers.

Saudi Arabian and international laws governing special education

In developed countries, there are numerous laws that have been put in place to ensure that children with intellectual and developmental disabilities are treated properly. One of the most prominent laws in the US is the IDEA, which provides free education to children with disabilities. According to Alquraini, this legislation ensures that kids with special needs receive a proper education regardless of their condition. In the US, there are also laws that protect people with special needs from discrimination in their educational activities. One of these is the Rehabilitation Act, which states that people with disabilities can participate in programs and activities that are sponsored by the federal government. This law ensures that children with disabilities are able to learn in schools that are designed to accommodate them. In Saudi Arabia, there is a similar effort to follow the US' lead in developing programs and policies that accommodate people with special needs. In 2011, Alquraini noted that the country's regulations for special education programs are based on the same principles. They provide a comprehensive list of the various types of disability and the interventions that are designed to help people with these conditions.      

Conclusion

Lastly, the Saudi Arabian government is committed to ensuring that children with special needs receive the necessary opportunities to learn. According to Alqahtani and Murry, in 2015, the country's education system is geared toward reducing its reliance on foreign workers. This is done through the implementation of the "Education for All" initiative, which aims to provide an education that is appropriate for all students.

References

Alamri, M. (2011). Higher education in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 11(4), 88-91.

Aldabas, R. A. (2015). Special education in Saudi Arabia: History and areas for reform. Creative Education, 6, 1158-1167.

AL-Kahtani, M. A. (2015). The individual education plan (IEP) process for students with intellectual disabilities in Saudi Arabia: Challenges and solutions. Web.

Alquraini, T. (2011). Special education in Saudi Arabia: Challenges, perspectives, future possibilities. International Journal of Special Education, 26(2), 149-159.

Alquraini, T. (2013). Legislative rules for students with disabilities in the United States and Saudi Arabia: A comparative study. International Interdisciplinary Journal of Education, 2(6), 601-614.

Alrashidi, O., & Phan, H. (2015). Education context and English teaching and learning in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: An overview. English Language Teaching, 8(5), 33-44.

Alqahtani, M. (2017). Teacher perspectives on full inclusion of students with learning disabilities in Saudi Arabia high schools. Web.

https://www.saudiembassy.net/education#:~:text=Formal%20primary%20education%20began%20in,226%20schools%20with%2029%2C887%20students