FURTHER EDUCATION IN SAUDI ARABIA
Many expatriate students (6 million expatriates live and work in Saudi Arabia) follow
various foreign education systems, such as IGCSE, GCSE, A-Level, Indian CBSE and ISC,
Pakistani high school, French, American and local private high school diplomas.
The Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) was established by the Saudi
government to plan and supervise vocational education and training. It focuses on
technical colleges and vocational institutes. Its work and courses help to decrease the
gap between training programs in technical colleges and the needs of the labour market.
International cooperation agreements have been signed with a number of advanced
countries to benefit from the experience of these countries. Countries such as the United
States, Germany, Japan, Britain and Australia have been helping the TVTC with
development programs, curricula, educational media and training methods in addition to
the training of Saudis.
For example, TVTC signed five training contracts with Stevenson College Edinburgh on
April 12. The collaboration began with a British Council-supported TVTC visit to the UK in
May 2009 to explore possibilities of collaboration with the higher education and further
education sectors. More than 40 TVTC trainers attended a 12-week course in the UK.
Then, four senior trainers from Stevenson College Edinburgh made a return visit to
Riyadht to deliver Quality Assurance training to the TVTC. The Quality Assurance
workshops are facilitated by the British Council, who work actively in the Middle East to
develop educational opportunities and cultural exchange.
On
April 22 2010, the British Council facilitated TVTC signing scholarship agreements with
11 UK universities at an event at Thames Valley University, London, including the
University of Huddersfield. The scholarship programmes will run for four years, beginning
in September 2010. Students will complete three years of study in the UK and be
awarded degrees in different applied specialisations. They will complete one year of
English language training on-campus in the University, two years of undergraduate study
in a wide range of subjects from Business and Hospitality to Science, Engineering and
Computing and a one term PG Technical Teaching qualification.
TVTC is also keen to maintain cooperation with international organizations concerned
with training like the United Nations Educational, Scientific and cultural Organization
(UNESCO) and the international Labour Organization (ILO).
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HIGHER EDUCATION IN SAUDI ARABIA
1.
Private Higher Education in Saudi Arabia:
The status of private education in Saudi Arabia has grown over the last several
decades and has received support from numerous governments.
There are currently 21 government run universities operating in Saudi Arabia.
There are eight private universities which are currently open, and 20 private
colleges, which both offer bachelors and masters degree qualifications. These
bodies are supervised by the Ministry of Higher Education.
This governmental body aims to stimulate the contribution of private providers
to the education sector. This body will determine the licensing procedure and the
structure of colleges, and will issue laws determining the sufficient level of
resources required for the efficient work of colleges and universities.
The department also offers land to colleges who offer their students nominal
fees, provides loans on good terms to higher education colleges as well as giving
colleges grants to cover one third of the students if the college reaches quality
performance indicators set by the Ministry.
The private universities are: the King Abdullah University for Science and
Technology, the Prince Sultan University, the Arab Open University, the Prince
Mohammad Bin Fahd University, the Alfaisal University, the Al Yamamah
University, the Effat University and the Dar Al Uloom University.1
The private colleges are: the Dar Al-Hekma College, the Prince Sultan College for
Tourism and Business, the Albaha College of Science, the College of Business
and Administration, the Soliman Fakeeh College for Science and Nursing, the
Riyadh College of Dentistry, the Ibn Sina National College for Medical Studies,
the Qassim Private College, the Prince Fahd Bin Sultan College, the Prince Sultan
College for Tourism and Management, the Batterkee Medical College, the Saad
College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, the Arriyadah College of Medical
Sciences, the Almarifah College for Science and Technology, the Buraydah
College for Applied Medical Sciences, the Mohammad Al Mani College for
Sciences, Global Colleges, the Al-Farabi Dentistry College, the Al-Ghad
International Medical Science Colleges and the Sulaiman Al Rajhi Colleges. 2
1.1
Education Regulation - Legislation, Licences and Accreditation
1.1.1
The Relationship between Private Institutions and the Ministry 3
The Ministry ensures that the private colleges which are established
are committed to offering sound education. This is done in two clear
areas:
1.1.2
Joint Planning, which has two phases
1.1.2.1
First Phase
1
http://www.mohe.gov.sa/en/studyinside/privateedu/Pages/listphe.aspx
2
http://www.mohe.gov.sa/en/studyinside/privateedu/Pages/Colleges.aspx
3
http://www.mohe.gov.sa/en/studyinside/privateedu/Pages/Overview.aspx
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The initial phase of the private college project, which
establishes a clear vision of the objectives of the college
and its contribution to Saudi Arabia. This is done by the
evaluation of the feasibility study presented by the
potential founders of the private college by experts prior
to granting the preliminary license.
1.1.2.2
Second Phase:
The second phase is the planning during the operation of
the college. This is done through the formation of a
Council of Trustees in the college, consisting of: five
members of the owners, an academic representative
appointed by the Ministry and two members of the
teaching staff who are experts in Saudi education.
The purpose this Council is to form a body to ensure that
the college educational level is continuously developed,
and the investors participate in the strategic decisions
related to the college.
1.1.3
Joint Organization
The Ministry of Higher Education shall define the necessary principles
in order to establish good working relations between the Ministry and
the college. This can be achieved by:
1.1.3.1
The General Approval Committee, in which the Ministry,
evaluates the college with regards to whether the extent
of capabilities/facilities complies with approved criteria for
maintaining national standards.
1.1.3.2
The Ministry evaluates the teaching syllabus for each
specialty through:
Sending the syllabus to an accredited governmental
university or an accredited research and consultancy
institutions to evaluate it. The final approval of the
syllabus is granted by the General Committee for
Licensing and Approvals.
1.1.4
Joint Supervision: is done through two ways:
1.1.4.1
Self-supervision:
The college is to submit to the Ministry, predefined reports
whether academic, financial or administrative reports, or
others required by the Ministry.
1.1.4.2
Field Supervision:
This is done by agreed inspections between the Ministry
and the college to ensure that standards are maintained in
the colleges.
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1.2
Licensing4
1.2.1
The Ministry of Higher Education is the authority which grants licences
for private universities and colleges. To aid this, a General Committee
has been formed which considers and approves private universities and
colleges.
1.2.1.1
Organisation Regulations are issued. These deal with
issues such as:
defining the relationship between the Ministry and the
colleges and universities,
defining the major object of enabling the private sector to
invest in higher education, and
defining the stages to be followed to get the final licensing
for colleges and universities.
1.2.2
There are four stages of licensing that the institution will need to pass.
1.2.2.1
Preliminary Licensing
The Ministry needs to establish the objective of the college
and what it will add to the higher education sector in the
country and how serious the applicants are.
1.2.2.2
General Approval
The Ministry will set the minimum number of buildings,
teaching halls, laboratories, libraries, offices and other
issues such as the level of teaching staff.
1.2.2.3
Special Approval
The Ministry will then consider the extent of the
availability of equipment for the institute to operate
efficiently, the qualifications of the staff, the qualifications
of the administrative staff, evaluating the proposed
syllabus.
1.2.2.4
Final Approval
The Ministry will review the previous stages and ensuring
the necessary guarantees for the successful continuation
of the college remain in place.
1.2.3
1.3
It should be noted that the Ministry of Education website states that
non-Saudis are not permitted to acquire such licences.
Accreditation5
The body in charge of accreditation in Saudi Arabia is the National Commission
for Assessment and Academic Accreditation. Its aims are to upgrade the quality
4
http://www.mohe.gov.sa/en/studyinside/privateedu/Pages/Overview.aspx
5
http://www.mohe.gov.sa/en/aboutus/Institutions/Pages/academic-accreditation.aspx
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of both government run schools and those in the private sector by ensuring
clarity, transparency and codified standards for academic performance.
Its role is to asses and to accredit all post-secondary education institutions and
programmes. It requires that each institution has in-house assessment, each
institute is in line with the national framework for qualifications and that each
institution complies with quality measures for course programmes, student
management, institutional management and faculty management.
This document has been prepared by Eversheds LLP. Unless expressly stated to the contrary, the
material contained in this document is for general information purposes only. It does not constitute
legal or professional advice. Professional or legal advice should be obtained before taking or
refraining from any action as a result of the contents of this document. No liability is accepted by
Eversheds for any action taken in reliance on the information contained in this document. Any and
all information is subject to change.
© Eversheds LLP 2011. Unauthorised copying of this document is not permitted. If you wish to
copy this document, please contact Eversheds LLP for approval. Eversheds LLP is a limited liability
partnership.
For further information on Eversheds LLP or the Education team, please contact Glynne Stanfield at
Eversheds LLP on 0845 497 3806 or email: glynnestanfield@eversheds.com
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