Schooling and Increasing Instruction of English for Girls in Saudi Arabia - Case Study Example

Case Study Schooling and Increasing Instruction of English for Girls in Saudi Arabia: A Global Perspective Name Date Course Schooling and Increasing Instruction of English for Girls in Saudi Arabia: A Global Perspective Introduction In Saudi Arabia, girls’ education was not given priority it deserves in the past. It was believed that the men are superior to women and educating the women is not of much importance. However, a lot of changes have since taken place, and it started with women being educated based on the Islamic laws that require people to search for knowledge. The first girls’ school in Saudi Arabia was established in 1956 (Nassuora, 2012, p. 24). However, the education for women was guided by Department of Religious Guidance. The education for women was carried out through the use of Arabic in the past. However, English is currently being embraced in the education system. The number of women who have graduated in the higher institution of learning has increased to more than 21,000 in the past 40 years (Jamjoom & Kelly, 2013, p. 120). The paper thus discusses schooling and increasing instruction for English for Girls in Saudi Arabia. Discussion Description and background The case study examines schooling for girls in Saudi Arabia and the use of English language in school. This is considering that English is an international language, and it exposes the students to a global scene where English is commonly used. In Saudi Arabia, the education for girls was not given priority in the past. This is based on the religious and cultural beliefs. Islam is the religion that is practiced in Saudi Arabia and it highlights that men are superior to women (Khan, 2011, p. 1253). As a result of this men were given more priority in terms of education as compared to the women. However, despite this, the Islamic religion requires every individual to search for knowledge and hence the introduction of education for girls. The equality for in terms of education was affected by the policies that were put in place by the government. A segregation policy was put in place by the government where the education was offered differently for the boys and the girls (Jamjoom & Kelly, 2013, p. 117). Although the girls could access education, it was governed by strict policies and the male guardians the decision-making process with regards to the nature of education that was being offered to the girls. The segregation of education was a common practice in the education system in Saudi Arabia. Jamjoom and Kelly (2013, p. 121) argue that the segregation policy led to different education being offered to the girls and the boys. Education in the pasty was not mandatory for the girls in Saudi Arabia as it was believed that the women will be married. Since the women could not be employed in some sectors education was given much priority. The first ever school for girls in Saudi Arabia was established in 1956 and it was called Dar al-Hanan (Nassuora, 2012, p. 25). The school played an essential role in improving access to education for girls as a low number had been enrolled before the establishment of the school. The first state-run school for girls was established in 1961. However, despite the introduction of the first state ruin school, different department were involved in the regulation of education for boys and girls. The Ministry of Education handled the regulation of education for boys while the department for religious guidance handled the regulation of education for girls (Patterson, 2013. p. 23). The segregation policy was still used even after the establishment of the state-run schools for girls. The education of women after the establishment of the state-run school only exposed the women to gender-related work such as teaching, nursing and housewifery. In the last 40 years, the education system has improved and the girls arte increasingly enrolling in schools. It is currently common for the girls to be enrolled in primary schools at a young age just like the boys. This can be attributed to the changes that were made in 2002 where the regulation of education for girls was transferred to the Ministry of Education. Currently the law requires the women to have guardians who in most cases are in control of their education. This still affects the how far the women can go in terms of education. In 1970, the number of women graduates was only 13 but it is currently at about 21,000 which is an indication of improvements (Khan, 2011, p. 1249). In Saudi Arabia, the status of English is that of a primary foreign language. As a result of this, it is widely used in various sectors including the educational sector. In the education system, English is the sole foreign language that is taught in both the primary and secondary schools (Patterson, 2013. p. 26). It is also taught in Primary schools, secondary schools, universities and government institutions. At all the universities in Saudi Arabia, English is taught as elective subjects or major fields of study. This is taught to all the students including the girls at the universities. In all the public as well as the private primary, intermediate and secondary schools in Saudi Arabia, English is taught as a core subject. In most of the university departments, English is used as a medium of instruction. The students who are not English majors have to take an English introductory course at the universities as some of the courses are taught in English. The use of English is common as a medium of instruction for students undertaking Engineering, Medicine and technical subjects (Abu-Hilal, et al, 2014, p. 268). This involves all the students including the girls. Most of the newly established private universities use English as the medium of instructions. Other public universities that use English as the only medium of instruction include King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and King Fahd University of Petroleum and minerals. This tend therefore indicates that the schools are increasingly embracing the use of English as a medium of instruction. English is aloes becoming popular among the students in most of the schools as well as the members of public. Analysis The establishment of the girls’ school by the state and private sector has positive impacts on the education of girls in Saudi Arabia. The number of girls going to school increased when the schools were established. The move by the government was an approval of the education of girls in the country. This is considering that some of the government policies in the past had negative impacts on the education of the girls (Alrashidi & Phan, 2015, p. 33). The government in Saudi Arabia also played an important role in ensuring that the education of girls is under the supervision of the ministry of education as opposed to the department of religious guidance. Through this move, the scope of education was improved and the girls could study for other courses that the boys studies. According to Alrashidi and Phan (2015 p. 34), the move by the government to place the education of girls under the ministry of education was also important in terms of ensuring that girls are not limited to the courses such as teaching, nursing and housewifery which were common in the past. The improvement saw girls graduating from higher institutions of learning in different professions including management, medicine and engineering. The success of the girls in terms of the education sector is as a result of the improvements that have been made in the last 40 years. The levels of illiteracy among the girls have reduced due to the establishment of schools as well as the policies that encourage the education of women (Abu-Hilal, et al, 2014, p. 268). The girls are able to go to school just like the boys at an early age. The education of girls in English has impacted positively on the learning process as English is an international language. The system allows all the pupils as well as students to study English as a core subject and hence enabling the girls to communicate in English. Through communication in English, the girls are able to visit other countries and communicate with the diverse group of people as English is an international language. It is also possible for the students to study in other countries after completing their basic education in Saudi Arabia (Mahboob & Elyas, 2014, p. 30). Alrashidi and Phan (2015, p. 33) argue that the education system in the country therefore equips the girls with the ability to visit the globe and communicate effusively with diverse groups of people. This is considering that English is among the commonly used languages in the globe. Most of the European countries United States of America and some countries in Africa use English as a national language. This means that the girls from Saudi Arabia can visit those countries and communicate effectively through the use of English. This is an indication that the education system in Saudi Arabia prepares the students to work or visit other parts of the globe. With the current globalization, an education system has to consider the global scene. The use of English as a medium of instruction at the universities also enables the students to obtain high quality education. This is considering that highly qualified professors from the developed countries can teach the local students at the local universities (Alrashidi & Phan, 2015, p. 33). According to Al-Seghayer (2014, p. 17), the quality of education has improved in Saudi Arabia as a result of introducing the English language and promoting the education of the women. The number of girls who are able to communicate in English has increased significantly. The use of English in Engineering and medicine courses has also played an important role in increasing the number of students going abroad to pursue higher education as English is commonly used in most of the countries (Mahboob & Elyas, 2014, p. 39). In the globe, technology is increasingly becoming common and it is being used in the educational sector. Discussion groups are available online where the students can discuss various issues that are related to their course. Since English is used globally, most of the online discussions are in English. The introduction of English in the system is therefore important in enabling the students from Saudi Arabia to be connected to other parts of the world and engage in different discussions (Robertson & Al-Zahrani, 2012, p. 1137). This has the potential of improving on the knowledge and skills of the students. The education system in Saudi Arabia is gearing towards attaining the international standards due to its nature. The policies that have been put in place have greatly reduced the levels of segregation which was evident 40 years ago. This is considering that the country at the time had only 13 women who were graduates. The girls are currently doing the same exams with the boys and are competing actively with them in most of the courses. Although the government has put in place measures to promote the schooling of the girls in the country, more still needs to be done. Some of the policies are aloes affecting the levels of education that the girls can undertake. The presence of male guardians means that the girls cannot make many decisions with regards to their education (Robertson & Al-Zahrani, 2012, p. 1139). Any objection from the guardians could lead to the end of education for the girls. Some of the guardians have prevented the girls from pursing higher education as they are responsible for the decision making process. Equality in education is yet to be achieved as the men in the society are still considered superior to women according to the cultural and religious beliefs (Braine, 2014, p. 15). As a result of the inequality, it is difficult for women to pursue some of the courses. According to Robertson and Al-Zahrani, (2012, p. 1137), women still find it difficult to pursue the engineering course despite having the necessary qualifications. This is because it is believed that such courses are for men and not women. This is an indication that although reforms have been taking place in the last 40 years, more still needs to be done so as to improve on the access to education by the girls in the country. The girls have little choices when it comes to the matters related to education due to the dominance of men. The use of English in the Educational sector may not benefit the girls much in the absence of equality bas they cannot associate with the international students or move to other countries without the approval of their male guardians (Avid, et al, 2012, p. 56). Education, Development and Human Rights According to Wallenstein’s views on education and development, Education plays an important role in the development of a nation (Avid, et al, 2012, p. 58). The literacy levels determine the levels of development in the country. Saudi Arabia has seen an improvement in the development of its economy after streamlining the educational sector. The education of the girls has also contributed to the development of the country as women have been employed in key positions in different companies including the government departments. However, the education system does not address the issues of human rights (Abu-Hilal, et al, 2014, p. 269). This is because the equality in education has not been attained and the women are still considered inferior to the women. As a result of the failure of the system to observe the human rights, the situation is also reflected in the employment sector after the completion of education by both boys and girls. About 90% of the people in employment are men while women represent only 10% of the workforce (Mahboob & Elyas, 2014, p. 30). This is aloes an indication that the women who are training in different professions are still low as compared to that of men. The concepts of modernity are yet to be embraced in some of the sectors as the women are still considered inferior to men. Impacts of using English in schools in the education of girls The use of English in the education sector has also led to the widespread use of English in different sectors (Javid, et al, 2012, p. 60). The communication between the Saudi Women and the expatriates has improved greatly. This is considering that most of the expatriates in the country are English speaking. English is also becoming popular in the media as English channels have been established and women have aloes found different jobs in the sectors. English has played an important role in ensuring that the Saudi Channels can be broadcasted in other countries. The number of business transactions that are carried out in English has been on the increase and women have also participated in some of them as they are knowledgeable in the English language (Al-Seghayer, 2014, p. 17). In the job market most of the employers require the candidates who have some knowledge of the English language. This has also seen some women who speak English being employed in various companies. Conclusion In conclusion, it is evident that the schooling system in Saudi Arabia has undergone a lot of changes. The number of women who are joining the schools has been on the increase after some reforms were made by the government. The education of the girls is currently under the ministry of education just like that the boys. The English language is widely used in the education system and the girls have benefited from this. The communication with the members of diverse groups has been enhanced through the use of English. Various sectors have aloes improved as a result of using English in the education system. Most of the sectors where women work require the knowledge of English language. It is evident that more needs to be done as equality is yet to be achieved in the education of the girls. References Nassuora, A. B. (2012). Student’s acceptance of mobile learning for higher education in Saudi Arabia. American Academic & Scholarly Research Journal, 4(2), 24-30. Jamjoom, F. B., & Kelly, P. (2013). Higher Education for Women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In Higher Education in Saudi Arabia (pp. 117-125). Springer Netherlands. Patterson, K. (2013). Education and Female Labor Market Participation in the Middle East: A Case Study of Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Scholar Colorado. Abu-Hilal, M. M. et al. (2014). Mathematics and science achievements predicted by self- concept and subject value among 8th grade Saudi students: Invariance across gender. 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International Journal of English Linguistics, 4(5), p17. Khan, I. A. (2011). Learning difficulties in English: Diagnosis and pedagogy in Saudi Arabia. Educational Research, 2(7), 1248-1257. Read More