The objectives of Saudi educational policy are to ensure that education becomes more efficient, to meet the religious, economic and social needs of the country and to eradicate illiteracy among Saudi adults.

General education in the Kingdom consists of kindergarten, six years of primary school and three years each of intermediate and high school. The Ministry of Education sets overall standards for the country's educational system and also oversees special education for the handicapped. Early in 2003 the General Presidency for Girls' Education was dissolved and its functions taken over by the Ministry, to administer the girls' schools and colleges, supervise kindergartens and nursery schools and sponsor literacy programs for females. The first government school for girls was built in 1964; by the end of the 1990s there were girls' schools in every part of the Kingdom. Of the nearly 5 million students enrolled in Saudi schools for the academic year 2003-04, about half were female.

After elementary education, students can attend either high schools offering programs in both the arts and sciences, or vocational schools. Students' progress through high school is determined by comprehensive exams conducted twice a year and supervised by the Ministry of Education.

The dramatic quantitative growth of the educational system since the introduction of the First Development Plan in 1970 has been more than matched by an improvement in the quality of education. One measure of this emphasis is that while the number of students in the educational system increased six-fold between the 1970s and the 1990s, the number of full-time teachers grew more than nine-fold. The Kingdom's ratio of 15 students to every teacher is one of the lowest in the world. The government, however, continues to work to improve educational standards. This has been achieved by raising the quality of teacher training programs, improving standards for evaluation of students and increasing the use of educational technology. One aspect of this is the introduction of computer science at the secondary level. In 2000, an ambitious school computer project was named after Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah. In addition, the administration of the educational system has also been enhanced by delegating greater authority to the regional boards.
 

Further Information

Education At the time the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932, education was not accessible to everyone and limited to individualized instruction at religious schools in mosques in urban areas.
Education for Girls Promoting the concept of equal educational opportunities for the sexes posed another problem but one that was ameliorated by Islam’s insistence on the importance of learning in general and the high status accorded to women within Islamic society in particular.
General Education The objectives of Saudi educational policy are to ensure that education becomes more efficient, to meet the religious, economic and social needs of the country and to eradicate illiteracy among Saudi adults.
Higher Education Entering a new era of rapid development of the country's infrastructure and economy in the early 1970s, Saudi Arabia devoted special attention to fostering higher education.
Special and Adult Education The Special Education Department of the Ministry of Education operates schools for the blind, deaf and the physically and mentally handicapped. Other institutes care for older handicapped people.
Training in Saudi Arabia The Kingdom has identified technical and administrative training as an essential sector of education to support the country's economic and social development.