Topic: Access to Education
Country: Saudi Arabia
Delegate Name: Jackie Cha
School: Northville High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Saudi Arabia position papers GLIMUN 2010 committees
Saudi Arabia has come a long way from when it became a nation, in 1932, where education was limited to few Islamic schools. Today, the country strongly believes in education for all children. The Ministry of Education has created “The Ministry of Education Ten-Year Plan (2004-2014)” which sets goals for a ten-year period. Goals include strengthening kindergarten, special needs programs, and girls’ technical education. Currently, public education (primary to high school) is available and free to every citizen. Saudi Arabia has made an effort to embed the European-style education, including King Abullah’s effort to establish multiple centers of learning with mixed-gender; however, currently, schools are not co-educational. Since 1956, the country has given women opportunities for education. Additionally, the government offers scholarship programs to send both men and women to Western universities for undergraduate and postgraduate studies. The country not only encourages primary education, but learning at the university level, whether is it at one of the eleven government universities or studying aboard.
Saudi Arabia believes that Islamic countries, such as Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan, should look at its system as a model for their education. Contrarily to the West, the separation of gender allows the country to follow the principles of the Koran while also giving women equal chances. With separate facilities, women still have opportunities to increase their knowledge and pursue careers meant for their gender, such as in education, and not toward fields of engineering and journalism. Moreover, Saudi Arabia believes that it is the government’s responsibility to fund education, especially in less prosperous areas. In 2004, the government spent 27.6% of its expenditures for education. Many local mosques and local religious institutions such as Koranic schools also offer educational services, which ensures that people throughout the nation has access to education. If other countries follow Saudi Arabia’s methods, they, too, will be able to provide education to its people entirely.
However, the Saudi system is not without flaws. Women do not have easy access to transportation, which may impair their education. Additionally, the education the men and women receive in the country is failing to meet the demands of modern industry. Only certain schools have the resources to fully prepare students, and not all citizens can enroll in these schools. Saudi Arabia hopes that the Human Rights Committee can help address the limitations its people have on education as well as helping other Islamic countries create a solid foundation for their educational systems.
