Despite its shortcomings, education in the Kingdom has nonetheless been vital to its development. The issues that have accumulated over the years boil down to a lack of long-term planning needed to keep pace with the system’s exponential growth. The reliance on rented school buildings, the lac k of participation of – and encouragement given to – people from rural areas to get involved with their local educational institutions, as well as the insufficient number of teachers, had put pressure on the system and resulted in poor admission rates. These issues, however, are not insurmountable and have not kept us from coming up with solutions. For instance, the King Abdullah Education Development Program, the new partnerships with the private sector and foreign entities, and increased citizen engagem ent in the education system’s development, are all causes for hope. Unlike before, those in charge of running the education system in the Kingdom have the requisite knowledge and strategic plans to take full advantage of and use the budget available to them to implement development programs and strategies that will carry Saudi Arabia into the First World.
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The Importance of Family Family is of utmost importance in establishing a strong education system. Naturally, while this component falls outside of the ministry’s purview, it still has the responsibility of str ucturing the system for family involvement and enabling them to contribute to knowledge building. The first step in this process is getting acquainted with families in the community by developing programs that enhance communication with their children’s sc hools. This is facilitated today by new technologies and methods of bringing families and schools in closer contact, such as the Noor Program, social media, as well as athletic, health, recreation, and educational programs. Religious and social guidance programs are also effective in getting through to younger generations, by making use of modern techniques that embody the concept of ‘connecting with the past while linking to the present.’ In this vein, the Neighborhood School Clubs have played a vital rol e in Saudi Arabia’s education system. Taking place after school and running into the early evening, these clubs were set up to open up a wide range of activities for all members of the family. I believe that these clubs have been one of the most effective education initiatives launched to date and have restored trust in schools, by creating a space that brings together families and students. The factors that led us to develop the Neighborhood School Clubs are worth reflecting on. A few months after taking the helm at the ministry, I was invited to meet with the National Committee for Narcotics Control at the office of the Minister of Interior Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz. At the meeting, which was held during the holy month of Ramadan, we were shown terrifying statistics about the sheer volume of drugs that enter the Kingdom for distribution among the youth. Prince Nayef was deeply upset by the figures and was eager to find a solution that would deter young people away from these foul substances. He turned to me and His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Fahd, the General President of Youth Welfare, and said: “It is your duty to do what is needed for our youth. King Abdullah has entrusted you with this responsibility, which you bear before the eyes of Allah. Today, I want you to face this dire issue head on. I will stand with and support you with everything that you need – stadiums, clubs, facilities, whatever – to protect our youth, steer them towards more productive behavior, and shield them from this awf ul plague.” No sooner had we heard his instructions and the sincerity of his voice than we began brainstorming solutions.
I remembered an incident that took place several years ago, when I attended an inauguration ceremony of a public park in Jeddah with the help of locals. The park, like many other public parks in
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