K-12 EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THE MIDDLE-EAST

Education has long been neglected in the Middle Eastern region. This trend, however, has changed completely within the last decades. Today, most Middle Eastern countries spend hefty amounts on education, and a special emphasis is also put on higher education abroad.?

Indeed, the foundation for higher education comes from the K12 education system in the Middle East. It has been adopted from the American K12 system with minor changes pertinent to the region’s environment. With the discovery of oil and economies booming with time, the system is becoming stronger every day.?

Let’s now look at the K12 education system in the major countries of the Middle Eastern region.?

Common characteristics of all the major ME countries

State-run or public schools: All the countries have state-run or public schools where education is free and the curriculum is the same throughout the country. Almost all the countries focus on religious education along with math, science, geography, and social sciences. Education is free in such schools.

Private schools: Similarly, all the states here also have private schools each having a slightly different syllabus than the other. These schools are either trust funded or run on fees.

International schools are also present in each country with their respective countries' systems and syllabus.?

Many energy companies have also established their schools in the Middle East to provide quality education to their employees. They also have seats for the general public.?

Country-wise overview of the K12 education system in the Middle East

Each country in the Middle East has some variations in the arrangement of grades from Kindergarten to 12th grade. Further, almost all the countries have the option of vocational education at some level so a student can choose between further studies or professional education.?

K12 System in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabian K12 education system comes under the purview of the Ministry of Education. Generally, Public schools have a more religious curriculum than private schools. International schools are also prevalent, especially for expats. There is a large population from India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and other countries living in KSA for work. Many private schools are only for the nationals of these countries.

?The K12 system of KSA consists of the following steps with different grades:

Pre-Primary Education: School environment and rudimentary language skills

• Age 3 and above
• 2 years of Kindergarten?

Primary education: Basic concepts of Math, Science, and social sciences

• Class 1 to 6
• Age bracket: 6 to 12 years
• Intermediate Education: Reinforcement of concepts learned at primary level
• Age bracket: 12 to 15
• Class 7 to 9

Secondary education: Either technical, religious, or academic education?

• Class 10 to 12
• Age bracket: 15 to 18 years

Secondary school education in KSA is of three types.?

1. Regular??
2. General?
3. Technical, or religious

K12 System in UAE

UAE puts great emphasis on education and has spent millions of dollars on education infrastructure to bring the UAE education system to par with international standards. Public schools receive heavy findings from the state and scholarships are provided to talented students in private schools as well. The Ministry of Education oversees the education system in the states.?

K12 system of UAE comprises of following steps:

Pre-School and Kindergarten: Students learn to acclimate themselves to the school environment

• Ages 4 and 5
• 2 years of Kindergarten?

Primary education: Basics of Math, Science and History are common subjects at this stage

• Class 1 to 5
• Age bracket: 6 to 11 years

Preparatory or Intermediate Education: Students learn to prepare themselves for either technical or academic education in the future

• Age bracket: 12 to 15
• Class 6 to 9

Secondary education: Students have a choice to learn technical or academic subjects

• Class 10 to 12
• Age bracket: 15 to 18 years

Same as KSA, secondary education is of two types in UAE. It’s either technical or general and there are different types of schools for both types.?

K12 System in Kuwait

Pre-School education in Kuwait: School environment and basic language skills, counting, alphabet, etc.

• Age 4 to 6 years
• 2 years of Kindergarten?

Primary education (also called elementary education): Basic science, math, and language skills

• Class 1 to 5
• Age bracket: 6 to 11 years

Intermediate Education: Further learning of basic math, science, and social sciences

• Age bracket: 11 to 15
• Class 6 to 11

Secondary education: Either technical or academic. Also, students can choose humanities or science.

• Class 11 & 12
• Age bracket: 15 to 18 years

K12 System in Qatar

Pre-Primary Education: School environment acclimation and basic language skills

• Age 3 to 5?
• 2 years of Kindergarten?

Primary education: Basic skills in language, math, science, and social sciences

• Class 1 to 6
• Age bracket: 6 to 12 years

Intermediate Education: Further reinforcement of basic skills

• Age bracket: 12 to 15
• Class 6 to 9

Secondary education: Technical or academic education

• Class 10 to 12
• Age bracket: 15 to 18 years

Oman?

Pre-Primary education: Playgroup, language, numbers, and basic school antiquate

• Age 3 and above
• 2 years of Kindergarten?

Primary education: Basic math, science, and language skills

• Class 1 to 4
• Age bracket: 6 to 12 years

Intermediate Education: Math, Science, social sciences, history, etc.

• Age bracket: 12 to 15
• Class 5 to 10

Secondary education: Technical or vocational training or academic study?

• Class 10 to 12
• Age bracket: 15 to 18 years

Conclusion

Middle East has become a large exporter of foreign students to international universities and colleges, especially in the US. The base, however, is the K12 education system in the Middle East that is providing students to these colleges. Thanks to the increasing focus on education, the Middle East is becoming a great place to recruit foreign students.??