The Education System in Saudi Arabia

Traditional education in Saudi Arabia includes the memorization and recitation of the Koran. Saudi Arabia offer free education also to study abroad. In the country boys and girls do not attend school together. For boys the levels of education include primary, intermediate, secondary and university. After the first year of secondary education, boys can choose between scientific studies or literary studies. There are also vocational schools that train in agriculture, technical and business studies. More advance studies take place at the universities.
The first school for girls in Saudi Arabia was started in 1956. Prior to this year the could only be taught at home by private tutors. Today more than half of almost 200.000 students in Saudi universities are women. Because they are not allowed to share classrooms with men, they hear the lectures by television. There are some university campuses for women only.

Seven major aspects of higher education in Saudi arab

Teachers will be provided with modern information technology tools. “They will also be given intensive training to help them become familiar with modern developments and changes,” he added.The ministry will carry out seven training programs for more than 400,000 teachers, focusing on their specialization, school management, educational supervision, computer science, self-development and improvement of skills. “The atmosphere in classrooms will be improved by providing modern technological facilities such as interactive boards, displaying devices, communication network and Internet services,” Al-Obaid said.The project also aims at expanding out-of-class activities in order to develop better students by improving their cultural and health standards, creating a spirit of competition in making innovations and encouraging them to participate in various social activities. “We have identified more than 10 programs in this category, including scientific, cultural, social and sports activities and memorization of the Qur’an and Hadith,” he said.Saudi academics and officials are in the process of setting out a 25-year strategy to develop the country’s higher education system in tune with the country’s development and job market requirements. “We have completed studies on seven major aspects of higher education with the support of research groups from different Saudi universities,” said Muhammad Al-Ouhali, director of the project.

Scientific and technological development in Saudi arab

Princess Al-Jowhara has been appointed president of the Riyadh university. “All girls colleges in different regions will be brought under separate universities,” Anqari said.Speaking about the King Abdullah education project, Education Minister Abdullah Al-Obaid said it would help the Kingdom keep pace with scientific and technological development and meet the requirements of the Education Document presented by the king to the GCC summit as well as the 8th Five-Year Development Plan. “It will also meet the hopes and aspirations of Saudi citizens,” Al-Obaid said. “We’ll continue our efforts for the development of education, making use of the successful experiments of countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, China, New Zealand, Finland, France, Ireland, Britain, Canada and the US,” he added.The project also aims at deepening Islamic values, morals and allegiance to family, society and nation, and appreciating and preserving national achievements. “There are more than 15 mechanisms to implement the project,” he said.

King Abdullah Project for the Development of Public Education

The King Abdullah Project for the Development of Public Education, which was approved by the Cabinet in February, has allocated SR4.2 billion to improve the educational environment and SR3.58 billion for extra-curricular activities.The training and development of teachers is another thrust of the project and for this purpose SR2.94 billion has been set aside. A curriculum development program will receive SR980 million. Academics and other experts are working on the project’s executive plan, which will be ready shortly.Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah instructed Education Ministry officials and academics during a meeting last year to shoulder the responsibility of teaching and training present and future generations with seriousness.In a related development, Higher Education Minister Dr. Khaled Al-Anqari disclosed plans to establish more women’s universities which will be managed by women. King Abdullah will launch the first such university in Riyadh today.

Education System Undergoing Major Overhaul in Saudi arabia

Saudi Arabia has begun a major overhaul of its education system, pumping SR11.8 billion ($3.1 billion) into the project, to ensure overall development of its students by increasing their knowledge as well as their physical, professional, psychological and intellectual capabilities.The King Abdullah Project for the Development of Public Education, which was approved by the Cabinet in February, has allocated SR4.2 billion to improve the educational environment and SR3.58 billion for extra-curricular activities.The training and development of teachers is another thrust of the project and for this purpose SR2.94 billion has been set aside. A curriculum development program will receive SR980 million. Academics and other experts are working on the project’s executive plan, which will be ready shortly.Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah instructed Education Ministry officials and academics during a meeting last year to shoulder the responsibility of teaching and training present and future generations with seriousness.In a related development, Higher Education Minister Dr. Khaled Al-Anqari disclosed plans to establish more women’s universities which will be managed by women. King Abdullah will launch the first such university in Riyadh today. Princess Al-Jowhara has been appointed president of the Riyadh university. “All girls colleges in different regions will be brought under separate universities,” Anqari said.Speaking about the King Abdullah education project, Education Minister Abdullah Al-Obaid said it would help the Kingdom keep pace with scientific and technological development and meet the requirements of the Education Document presented by the king to the GCC summit as well as the 8th Five-Year Development Plan. “It will also meet the hopes and aspirations of Saudi citizens,” Al-Obaid said. “We’ll continue our efforts for the development of education, making use of the successful experiments of countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, China, New Zealand, Finland, France, Ireland, Britain, Canada and the US,” he added.The project also aims at deepening Islamic values, morals and allegiance to family, society and nation, and appreciating and preserving national achievements. “There are more than 15 mechanisms to implement the project,” he said.Teachers will be provided with modern information technology tools. “They will also be given intensive training to help them become familiar with modern developments and changes,” he added.The ministry will carry out seven training programs for more than 400,000 teachers, focusing on their specialization, school management, educational supervision, computer science, self-development and improvement of skills. “The atmosphere in classrooms will be improved by providing modern technological facilities such as interactive boards, displaying devices, communication network and Internet services,” Al-Obaid said.The project also aims at expanding out-of-class activities in order to develop better students by improving their cultural and health standards, creating a spirit of competition in making innovations and encouraging them to participate in various social activities. “We have identified more than 10 programs in this category, including scientific, cultural, social and sports activities and memorization of the Qur’an and Hadith,” he said.Saudi academics and officials are in the process of setting out a 25-year strategy to develop the country’s higher education system in tune with the country’s development and job market requirements. “We have completed studies on seven major aspects of higher education with the support of research groups from different Saudi universities,” said Muhammad Al-Ouhali, director of the project.

China Education Broadband Satellite Net

The gradual spread of broadband technology has also helped online education. The China Education and Research Network (CERNET), started in 1994, is now China's second largest Internet network, covering all major cities of China. The high-speed connection between it and the China Education Broadband Satellite Net, opened in 2000, established a "space to earth" transmission platform for modern distance education, and provided an all-round network supporting environment for distance education.
Adult education is both dynamic and diverse. Schools of higher learning for adults include radio and TV, worker, farmer, correspondence and evening universities, management and education colleges; adult secondary schools include vocational, high and skills training schools; worker elementary and farmer elementary schools comprise the adult elementary sector.

Overseas students from 188 countries in Chines Universities

The number of foreigners wanting to study in China has been rising by approximately 20% annually since the reform and opening period began. According to official government figures 195,503 overseas students from 188 countries and regions came to study on the mainland in 2007 although the number is believed to be somewhere around the 300,000 region, because the government’s figures do not include students studying at private language schools. This makes China the world’s sixth-largest study abroad destination.
According to reports, the Republic of Korea, Japan, the United States of America, Vietnam and Thailand were the five biggest source countries, and the number of students from European source countries is increasing. Currently the Chinese government offers over 10,000 scholarships to foreign students, though this is set to rise by approximately 3,000 within the next year.
International students are increasingly studying in China. China's economy is improving more quickly than had been predicted, i.e. sizable economic growth by 2015 has been predicted as opposed to 2050. China has already drawn the attention of the West for its growth rates, and the 2008 Olympic Games and Shanghai Expo 2010 have intensified this positive attention. Another factor that draws students to China is the considerably lower cost of living in China compared to most western countries. Finally, major cities in China such as Beijing and Shanghai already have a strong international presence.

Literacy and language reform in China

The continuing campaigns to eradicate illiteracy also were a part of basic education. Chinese government statistics indicated that of a total population of nearly 1.1 billion in 1985, about 230 million people were illiterate or semiliterate. The difficulty of mastering written Chinese makes raising the literacy rate particularly difficult. In general, language reform was intended to make written and spoken Chinese easier to learn, which in turn would foster both literacy and linguistic unity and serve as a foundation for a simpler written language. In 1951 the party issued a directive that inaugurated a three-part plan for language reform. The plan sought to establish universal comprehension of a standardized common language, simplify written characters, and introduce, where possible, romanized forms based on the Latin alphabet. In 1956 Putonghua (modern Standard Mandarin) was introduced as the language of instruction in schools and in the national broadcast media, and by 1977 it was in use throughout China, particularly in the government and party, and in education. Although in 1987 the government continued to endorse the goal of universalizing putonghua, hundreds of regional and local dialects continued to be spoken, complicating interregional communication.

Shanghai Educational Bureau in china

In early 1987 efforts had begun to develop the key school from a preparatory school into a vehicle for diffusing improved curricula, materials, and teaching practices to local schools. Moreover, the appropriateness of a key school's role in the nine-year basic education plan was questioned by some officials because key schools favored urban areas and the children of more affluent and better educated parents. In 1985 entrance examinations and the key-school system had already been abolished in Changchun, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Xiamen, and other cities, and education departments in Shanghai and Tianjin were moving to establish a student recommendation system and eliminate key schools. In 1986 the Shanghai Educational Bureau abolished the key junior-middle- school system to ensure "an overall level of education."

Educational resources & educational accomplishment in China

"Key schools," shut down during the Cultural Revolution, reappeared in the late 1970s and, in the early 1980s, became an integral part of the effort to revive the lapsed education system. Because educational resources were scarce, selected ("key") institutions--usually those with records of past educational accomplishment--were given priority in the assignment of teachers, equipment, and funds. They also were allowed to recruit the best students for special training to compete for admission to top schools at the next level. Key schools constituted only a small percentage of all regular senior middle schools and funneled the best students into the best secondary schools, largely on the basis of entrance scores. In 1980 the greatest resources were allocated to the key schools that would produce the greatest number of college entrants.

Law on Nine-Year Compulsory Education in China

The Law on Nine-Year Compulsory Education, which took effect July 1, 1986, established requirements and deadlines for attaining universal education tailored to local conditions and guaranteed school-age children the right to receive education. People's congresses at various local levels were, within certain guidelines and according to local conditions, to decide the steps, methods, and deadlines for implementing nine-year compulsory education in accordance with the guidelines formulated by the central authorities. The program sought to bring rural areas, which had four to six years of compulsory schooling, into line with their urban counterparts. Education departments were exhorted to train millions of skilled workers for all trades and professions and to offer guidelines, curricula, and methods to comply with the reform program and modernization needs.

State Planning Commission for education in China

The National Conference on Education paved the way for the abolition of the Ministry of Education and the establishment of the State Education Commission, both of which occurred in June 1985. Created to coordinate education policy, the commission assumed roles previously played by the State Planning Commission and the Ministry of Education.

Establishment of State Education Commission in China

The National Conference on Education paved the way for the abolition of the Ministry of Education and the establishment of the State Education Commission, both of which occurred in June 1985. Created to coordinate education policy, the commission assumed roles previously played by the State Planning Commission and the Ministry of Education. As a State Council commission, the new State Education Commission had greater status than the old Ministry of Education had had and was in charge of all education organizations except military ones. Although the State Education Commission assumed a central role in the administration of education, the reform decentralized much of the power previously wielded by the Ministry of Education and its constituent offices and bureaus, which had established curriculum and admissions policies in response to the State Planning Commission's requirements.

Reforming the Education System in China

The May 1985 National Conference on Education recognized five fundamental areas for reform to be discussed in connection with implementing the party Central Committee's "Draft Decision on Reforming the Education System." The reforms were intended to produce "more able people"; to make the localities responsible for developing "basic education" and systematically implement a nine-year compulsory education program; to improve secondary education develop vocational and technical education; to reform and the graduate-assignment system of institutions of higher education and to expand their management and decision-making powers; and to give administrators the necessary encouragement and authority to ensure smooth progress in educational reform.

Educational institutions & vocational schools in China

To provide for its population, China has a vast and varied school system. There are preschools, kindergartens, schools for the deaf and blind, key schools (similar to college preparatory schools), primary schools, secondary schools (comprising junior and senior middle schools, secondary agricultural and vocational schools, regular secondary schools, secondary teachers' schools, secondary technical schools, and secondary professional schools), and various institutions of higher learning (consisting of regular colleges and universities, professional colleges, and short-term vocational universities). In terms of access to education, China's system represented a pyramid; because of the scarcity of resources allotted to higher education, student numbers decreased sharply at the higher levels. Although there were dramatic advances in primary education after 1949, achievements in secondary and higher education were not as great.
Although the government has authority over the education system, the Chinese Communist Party has played a role in managing education since 1949. The party established broad education policies and under Deng Xiaoping, tied improvements in the quality of education to its modernization plan. The party also monitored the government's implementation of its policies at the local level and within educational institutions through its party committees. Party members within educational institutions, who often have a leading management role, are responsible for steering their schools in the direction mandated by party policy.

Get paid for your MS degree in USA

Scholarships - I know not many people receive them — I did, so I came out debt free, so I know that it is possible. Then I had my employer paid for my MS degree. (I also forgot to mention that there are also need-based scholarships, which are more common at the top universities than merit based.) The rising cost of universities is also of concern in the US because it is rising much faster than inflation. I mentioned Germany because I have several friends who have studied there who talked about the perpetual students who were simply on a path to study forever to postpone ever doing work because education was free. So free education should have its limits. What I think that the US needs is a program to pay down the debts for a person who goes to work in public service of some sort. There is no reason to make education cheap for a high-flying financier who is making $1M per year five years out of his MBA program.

Europeans and Americana bridge the cultural and lifestyle differences

I have updated this post now to include the books containing facts and figures which you might find interesting. This article may seem a bit biased and one sided to Americans but it reflects the actual experiences and views of a lot of people outside of USA, particularly in Europe and can help a lot of Europeans and Americana bridge the cultural and lifestyle differences.
Of healthcare it is not only emergency care which suffers but also the doctor’s personal religious beliefs which overshadow medical ethics in several cases. A link for more details on such cases can be had here. Instead of rights to refusal, a doctor in here would have his license revoked.
Medclaim and medicare come under insurance and I have taken the cases of uninsured patients so it does not really count.