Saudi Arabia, cutting its budget, turns to private schools

Saudi Arabia, cutting its budget, turns to private schools:
"With oil prices languishing around $50 a barrel for the second year, in Saudi Arabia economic diversification has transformed from a phrase in vogue to a necessity. The kingdom, burning through foreign reserves, faces another year of double-digit fiscal deficits and plans to wean itself off oil revenues by shifting nationals from the public payroll and into the private sector.

Despite education making up a quarter of all budgeted spending, however, some experts feel the system of rote learning and omnipresent religious schooling has left youths lacking the critical thinking and technical skills needed for productive private sector work.

“Education is the fulcrum of Vision 2030,” says Rasheed Eltayeb, vice-president in Booz Allen’s Middle East public sector practice, referring to Saudi Arabia’s official blueprint for the future. “So the next logical step is to get into reforming the core of education.”"

'via Blog this'