Saudi Reforms Educational Curriculum to Emphasize Knowledge, Skills and Tolerance
Abdulaziz al Shemary

Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat- Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, a representative of the Saudi Ministry of Education has revealed the ministry’s plans for a general evolution in Saudi Arabia’s national curriculum. The focus will be on developing thinking skills and equipping students with Islamic conduct and traits such as tolerance and dialogue. He said that this recent progression centres on the philosophy of nurturing and development as the country looks forward to contributing in today’s information technology age.

The project aims for a comprehensive shift in the educational system, starting at the roots, to catch up with the fast-paced world events of the modern age. It also aims to provide effective means to implement this plan; creating an awareness of the latest developments by incorporating more information and knowledge, learning from the experience of others, outlining the skills needed in the different educational levels and applying knowledge and theory to practice. More emphasis will be placed on developing critical and practical thinking skills as well as other skills required for productive work.

It is the Saudi Ministry of Education’s belief that the educational curriculum that once befit the past social circumstances are now no longer applicable to the progressive contemporary Saudi society where the levels of education, growth in economy, technological advances and daily life must run parallel to education. This reform comes in time for the country’s anticipation of the telecommunications revolution.

It seems that the Saudi Ministry of Education is finally getting the picture. The problem is that many Saudis won’t agree. They believe that the most important aspect of education is learning to live life as a true Muslim, that this takes precedence over anything else in life. They are content to live a life as close to that of the 7th C. as possible, seeing all that has come since as wrong, immoral, and “un-Islamic”.

Luckily, most Saudis realize that they are living in the 21st C., that valid solutions to problems that arose 1,400 years ago may not be entirely applicable to today’s problems.