Republic of the Philippines

CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY

Master of Arts in Industrial Education (IA)
Main Campus, Roxas City

GRADUATE SCHOOL

Education System in KSA

Climate:
Summers ranging from 27°C to 43°C in the inland areas and 27°C to 38°C in coastal areas.
Winter ranges between 8°C to 20°C in the interior parts while higher temperatures.

Area: 2.15 million km²

Population: The current population of Saudi Arabia is 35,982,135 as of Tuesday, August 30, 2022, based
on World meter elaboration of the latest United Nations data.

Currency: Saudi riyal

Primary Sources of Income: Petroleum and its associated industries.

Language: Arabic

Religion: Islam

History Overview
Saudi Arabia’s education system has gone through an astonishing transformation. When the
Kingdom was established in 1932, education was available to very few people, mostly the children of
wealthy families living in the major cities.
Today, Saudi Arabia’s education system includes over fifty public & and private universities,
with more planned; some 30,000 schools; and many colleges and other institutions. The system is open to
all citizens, and provides students with free education, books, and health services.
While the study of Islam remains at its core, the modern Saudi educational system also provides
quality instruction in diverse fields of arts and sciences. This diversity helps the Kingdom prepare its
citizens for life and work in a global economy.

Educational Curriculum and standard

Education is a requirement for every Muslim, both male and female. The Holy Qur’an and the
Hadith [teachings and practices of the Prophet Muhammad] repeatedly emphasize the importance of
learning.
There are state-run as well as private schools in Saudi Arabia. The state schools follow a Saudi
general curriculum that is mainly in Arabic and more focus is put on Islamic education. In the start of
grade 4, English is introduced in state schools. In private schools, English is taught from starting, i.e. from
kindergarten. In Saudi Arabia, there are separated classes for female and male students.
Public education in Saudi Arabia starts with primary education that lasts for 6 years and is compulsory,
followed by intermediate and secondary education lasting 3 years each. Education in Saudi Arabia is free
at all K-12 educational levels.

Pre-Primary Education
Pre-primary education in Saudi Arabia is not mandatory, and is provided by nursery schools, pre-
schools, and kindergarten.
Pre-schools are for children aged 3 and above
Kindergarten comprises of 2 years:
First year is for children aged 4
Second year is for children aged 5

Primary Education
The primary education provide Islamic education, develops the basic literacy and numeracy
skills, and the feeling of responsibility to towards the society. This educational level focuses on religious
studies and Arabic culture, along with general studies and science.
Duration: 6 years
Ages: 6 to 12
Grades: 1 to 6
At the end of grade 6, students are required to take an exam, and those who pass receive an
elementary education certificate and are eligible for next educational level.
Curriculum: Mathematics, history, Islamic education, fine arts, geography, science, Arabic language,
home economics for girls, civics, and physical education for boys.

Intermediate Education
This educational level provides skills and knowledge as per the children’s age, provides Islamic
education, develops intellectual and scientific thinking skills, encourage pupils to seek knowledge
through scientific reasoning, and prepares students for secondary educational level.

 Ages: 12 to 15
 Duration: 3 years
  Grades: 7 to 9

Curriculum: Mathematics, Arabic, religious education, history, art education, science, English, home
economics (for girls), geography, and physical education (for boys).

Students who pass this educational level obtain an intermediate school certificate and are eligible
for next educational level, i.e. either go for general secondary education or vocational and technical
secondary education.

Secondary Education
Secondary education in Saudi Arabia provides a comprehensive Islamic education, instills in
them the research abilities, and enables them to carry on their studies in higher education institutions. 
In Saudi Arabia, there are many secondary education options: there are arts and science studies
for girls; natural sciences, religious education and Arabic, applied sciences, social sciences and
administrative studies for boys; secondary teacher training schools for girls; and also, there are
commercial, agricultural and industrial secondary institutes. 

Secondary education in Saudi Arabia consists of three types of schools:

 General/Regular secondary education schools

 Religious secondary schools
 Vocational and technical secondary education and training

General/Regular Secondary Education

The regular secondary education in Saudi Arabia develops scientific and academic attitude, and
prepares students for higher education. 

 Ages: 15 to 18
 Duration: 3 years
 Grades: 9 to 12

Curriculum: In the first year, there is a single curriculum for all the students. In second and third year,
students focus either on literary or scientific fields.
First year curriculum: Mathematics, Arabic studies, science, English, Islamic studies, home economics is
for girls only, social studies and physical education s for boys only.

After completing this educational level, pupils must appear for a general secondary school
examination, known as Tawjihi, and those who pass get the “General Secondary Education Certificate”,
which makes them eligible for higher education in Saudi Arabia.

Religious Secondary School

These schools are religious oriented. These schools provide the understanding of Islamic regulation in
daily life. 

 Ages: 15 to 18
 Duration: 3 years 

Curriculum: The curriculum in these schools emphasize on Arabic and Islamic education. In addition,
following subjects are also taught English, Arabic literature, history, general culture, and Geography.

Students who complete their studies at religious secondary school and pass the examination, get
the “Secondary Education Certificate of the Religious Institute”, thus are eligible for higher religious
studies.
Technical and Vocational Secondary Education
The Technical and Vocational training corporation (TVTC) manages all technical and vocational
training courses in Saudi Arabia. The technical and vocational education and training provide specific
profession skills and knowledge.

There are three kinds of technical and vocational secondary education: technical and vocational,
agricultural, and commercial.

 Ages: 15 to 18
 Duration: 3 years

Curriculum: 

 For Technical and Vocational: Metal mechanics, architectural drawing, television and radio, auto
mechanics, machine mechanics, and electricity. Along with technical subjects, following subjects
are also taught: Physical education, Arabic studies, physics, mathematics, religious education,
chemistry, and English.

 For Agriculture branch: Applied mathematics, horticulture, agricultural economics, applied

biology, Arabic, agronomy, applied physics, marketing, animal husbandry, religious education,
applied chemistry, English, plant nutrition, applied physics, and farm management.

 For Commercial branch: English, general mathematics, Arabic, economics, bookkeeping and

accounting, geography, commercial correspondence, religious studies, management and
secretarial, and financial mathematics.

Certificates awarded: Students who finish any of the vocational and technical secondary courses get a
secondary school diploma- diploma of secondary vocational school; diploma of the secondary agricultural
school, or the secondary commercial school diploma.

School Year
The school academic year in Saudi Arabia begins in August-end or September-end and concludes in June.
The school year is divided into 2 to 3 terms. The dates of the schools vary between public and private
schools. 

School week: 5 days, with Friday and Saturday being the weekends.

School timings: 6:30/7:00 am to 3:00 pm (depending on the grade and school)

School holidays: The dates vary, so contact the school to know about the holidays. 

 Summer term starts in mid-April and ends in late June

 Autumn term: Begins in September and ends just before Christmas
 Spring term: Commences after New Year and concludes in March-end.

Official and Religious Holidays

All the schools in Saudi Arabia have following holidays:

 National day: for 1 day 

 Eid Al Adha (The Feast of the End of Hajj): for 12 days
 Eid Al Fitr (The Feast of the End of Ramadan): for 1 week

Special Needs Education 

Children with physical and mental disabilities are provided special education in public and private
schools in Saudi Arabia and are considered as regular students.

Educational System During Pandemic

 The ministry will allow students who have or are suspected of having COVID-19 to attend online
through the electronic platform Madrasati (My School)
 To aid the smooth transition into in-person teaching, the ministry added that morning assembly will
be canceled, and students will go directly to their classrooms

The ministry emphasized the importance of “using school facilities to divide classes for
optimization and prioritize elementary classes.”
 According to a guide distributed to educational supervisors and school principals, the ministry
said that teachers who cannot come to schools might be exempted from attendance. MoE (Ministry of
Education) has also decided to exclude classroom or non-classroom activities that do not guarantee social
distancing.
The ministry is stepping up its preparations for “the safe return” of elementary and kindergarten
students in all the regions of the Kingdom, it started on Jan. 23, after postponing it from October due to
the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ministry ensures the readiness of schools to receive male and female students in the
elementary and kindergarten grades, monitor the maintenance and cleaning of schools, and secure all
needs and equipment for school buildings.
The ministry will provide schools with sanitizer and face masks, monitor safety systems and
alarms, and ensure that school buses are sanitized. Also, will ensure that schools will observe social
distancing, safe entrance and exit, and health precautions for the teachers, students, and classrooms.
The MoE said physical attendance will be applied first in remote areas because COVID-19 cases are
fewer there.
The MoE will determine the level of school attendance for kindergartens and elementary schools.
If the classrooms fail to meet precautions and social distancing measures, the ministry will require the
school to adopt a different operational model where the school must reduce the number of students in
classrooms to meet their precautions.
To aid the smooth transition into in-person teaching, the ministry added that morning assembly
will be canceled, and students will go directly to their classrooms.

The ministry will allow students who have or are suspected of having COVID-19 to attend online
through the electronic platform Madrasati (My School). The platform, which was launched at the start of
the pandemic in 2020 and used by more than 5 million students across the Kingdom, has been praised by
the UN in a report highlighting the success of innovative educational models during the COVID-19
pandemic.

Best Practices
Transition to work services is a complex process and can cover an enormous range of practices. This paper
examines the literature on best practices in transition to work services and considers teachers' perspectives regarding
these practices. Teachers working with students with intellectual disabilities participated in this study. The three
practices rated highest by teachers were exposing students to work experiences, maximizing opportunities to
participate in activities with typically developing peers, and family participation in the development of a transition
plan (Alnahdi, 2016).
In lieu of this study, Alwalidi & Lefrere (2010) stated that the progress at King Khalid University (KKU) in
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in developing and implementing a user-centered road map for teaching and learning,
with pervasive e-learning as a core element. They named the approach "Invisible" e-learning. As part of it, they are
investigating ways to capture and share expertise, as in master classes, and ways to provide and increase
personalization.
Education System in Jordan
Climate: Summers and Winter.

Area: 89,342 km²

Population: The current population of Saudi Arabia is 10,427,257 as of Tuesday, August 30, 2022.

Currency: Jordanian Dinar

Primary Sources of Income: Phosphates, potash, and their fertilizer derivatives; tourism; overseas
remittances; and foreign aid.

Language: Arabic

Religion: More than 92% of Jordanians are Muslims and approximately 8% are Christians

Primary Education
The education program in Jordan comprises 2 years of pre-school education, ten years of basic
education and 2 years of either secondary academic or secondary vocational schooling. Primary school
blends into what is called middle education elsewhere. Scholars may attend either private or public
schools.

Secondary Education
Academic secondary schools are still afflicted by class and gender discrimination. Students study
there for 2 years after which they may apply to proceed to university. Subjects include Arabic, biology,
chemistry, computer science, earth science, English, mathematics, physics, social science, and Islamic
studies (unless Christian).
 Secondary education (managed by the Ministry of Education), which can either be academic
or vocational. At the end of the two-year period, students sit for the general secondary examination
(Tawjihi) in the appropriate branch and those who pass are awarded the Tawjihi (General Secondary
Education Certificate). The academic stream qualifies students for entrance to universities, whereas the
vocational or technical type qualifies for entrance to Community Colleges or universities or the job
market, provided they pass the two additional subjects.

Vocational Education
Those students who prefer to, or who are practically inclined may attend 2 years of vocational
training at technical secondary school instead. Here they receive intensive vocational exposure including
apprenticeships. Both may open doors at community colleges and at universities too.
Applied secondary education (managed by the Vocational Training Corporation) which
provides intensive vocational training and apprenticeship and leads to the award of a certificate (not the
Tawjihi). Practical training is made through apprenticeship, and not in school workshops as in vocational
secondary education.

Tertiary Education
There are a variety of public and private universities in Jordan where approximately 2.5% of the
population are enrolled at any one time. There students may follow bachelors, masters, and doctorate
courses, be educated as teachers, or follow non-traditional distance-learning courses too.

Education School/ Grades Age Years Notes

Level
Middle General 1–10 6–16 10 Education is compulsory and free
Education for ages 6 to 16.
Secondary Secondary 16–18 16–18 2 Certificate/Diploma awarded:
Education Tawjihi (General Secondary
Education Certificate)
Vocational Secondary 16–18 16–18 2 Certificate/Diploma awarded:
Vocational Completion Certificate
Education
Tertiary Under- Under-   4–6  Bachelor’s degree program. A
graduate graduate Bachelor is 4 years in most fields,
Dentistry, Pharmacy and
Engineering are 5 years, Medicine 6
years. Some universities follow
German and French systems. The
German leads to a Magister degree,
the French to a DEA degree.
Teacher education is part of the
university system. All teachers must
obtain a Bachelor, secondary
teachers must in addition pass one
more year of study to obtain the
Higher Diploma in Education.

Tertiary Master Master   1–3 Two years after completing a

Bachelor program.
Tertiary Doctorate Docto-rate   3–5 After completing a master’s degree.

Educational System During Pandemic

Darsak platform (‫ )درسك‬is a Jordanian free-of-charge education platform that provides students
with online video educational materials which is organized and scheduled according to the Jordanian
educational curriculum. The platform aims to secure education for students from the first grade to the
12th-grade educational lessons through video clips whenever they don't have the access to the classroom.
[20]
The Ministry of Education has utilized Darsak platform to support the educational process and
ensure its continuation during the COVID-19 outbreak by making the educational programs available
through the platform.

Best Practices and Challenges

 The map out on the status of English language teaching (ELT) as practiced in the Arab World
and, specifically, in Jordan today. The study also aims to bring into focus significant issues that need to be
addressed in ELT in the Arab World. This paper presents a review of the status of English language
education, with an emphasis on the need for urgent reforms in the teaching of English in the Arab World.
Further, longitudinal data in respect to classroom and workplace English proficiency are presented.
English language education seems to be up-to-date teacher-centered and bound to other issues such as
teaching the textbook rather than focusing on developing lifelong strategies. There is a critical need for
writing national standards for English language professional development programs that should be based
on the findings of sound research. The significance of teaching English language through observing and
reviewing the current practices must always be highlighted (Alhabahba, Pandian, & Mahfoodh, 2016).
In addition, regarding on the ICT, a study explored barriers to utilizing information and
communication technologies (ICT) for teaching and learning in the country of Jordan as indicated by
participating stakeholders: students, teachers, and administrators. Jordan is a developing country in the
heart of the Middle East with both tremendous opportunity as well as significant challenges. In the area of
education, this study investigated ICT barriers through an interpretative case study, the Jordanian
Education Initiative. The study relied on the technology-to-performance chain (TPC) model as a
conceptual research framework in a qualitative analysis. Fifteen barriers were identified based on this
analysis. Twelve barriers were directly attributed to utilization factors proposed by the TPC model that
were in turn viewed as barrier factors (expected consequences and affect toward use, habit, social norms,
and facilitating conditions). A significant number of barriers were related to “facilitating conditions,” a
category that placed significant responsibility on the Ministry of Education to offer increased resources
and opportunities to facilitate the process of integrating technology into education in Jordan. Although
barriers were significant, the paper recommended additional institutional support for the JEI and
increased technical and pedagogical training for teachers. The study also provided policy
recommendations and suggestions for further research (Alkhawaldeh, & Menchaca, 2014).

Alnahdi, G. (2016). Best Practices in the Transition to Work Services for Students with Intellectual Disability:
Perspectives by Gender from Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Special Education, 31(3), n3.

Alwalidi, A., & Lefrere, P. (2010). Making E-Learning Invisible: Experience at King Khalid University, Saudi
Arabia. Educational Technology, 4-7.

Alhabahba, M. M., Pandian, A., & Mahfoodh, O. H. A. (2016). English language education in Jordan: Some recent
trends and challenges. Cogent Education, 3(1), 1156809.

Alkhawaldeh, N., & Menchaca, M. (2014). Barriers to utilizing ICT in education in Jordan. International Journal on
E-learning, 13(2), 127-155.