RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has announced a new educational visa program to attract students and academics to the Kingdom to boost its research and educational sectors.
The announcement coincided with the second day of the Human Capability Initiative currently underway in Riyadh during which a top official expressed hope that improving the education system will have a positive impact on the Kingdom’s gross domestic product.
Khaled Al-Sabti, chairman of the Education and Training Evaluation Commission, said improved educational performance will have a positive impact on the Kingdom’s economy and that Saudi Arabia is trying to elevate its system of education to match global standards.
“Currently, we are working with the World Bank closely to estimate the potential impact of improving quality of education on the economic growth. The initial findings are very impressive using the Saudi performance on international exams,” he added.
The official said the study estimates that “if we manage to bring the performance to the international level,” it will give a huge boost to GDP growth.
Al-Sabti discussed the significant impact of education on economic prosperity, highlighting findings from empirical research since the late 1960s.
He emphasized that each additional year of schooling contributes positively to economic prosperity, with a consistent monetary return of at least 9 percent, indicating a high return on investment.
“A recent analysis has shown that quality of education is more important than quantity,” Al-Sabti said.
The official continued: “Cognitive skills are more important than education qualification.”
Additionally, he underlined the establishment of an independent organization by the government with a focus on ensuring quality education and training.
“We call it the Education and Training Evaluation Commission. We aspire to build a globally pioneering high-impact Saudi quality model for education and training,” Al-Sabti stated.
Saudi Education Minister Yousef Al-Benyan highlighted the significant transformation of his ministry from a body focused on operational tasks like building schools and maintenance to becoming a regulator and facilitator.
“We focus on students, we focus on curriculum, we focus on schools, and how can we make our teachers skillful enough to meet the future requirements,” he said.
The minister added: “We should add digital skills as it is missing, and we do have at least a lot of reports that indicate there is a long way for us to meet our target.”
He further explained the multifaceted approach taken to enhance the education system. The minister laid emphasis on increasing investment in teachers’ training.
“Two, do we have the right mix in our curriculum that really focuses more on skills and values that are really needed,” Al-Benyan said.
He continued: “Third, we have very clear programs that started a few years back and we are emerging into even better positioning on early childhood (education).”
Qatari Minister of Education and Higher Education Buthaina Al-Nuaimi underscored the crucial role of education in his country’s national development strategy.
“We focused on re-aligning the curriculum with the continuously evolving demand of the labor market. We’re doing this in partnership with employers because it’s very important to align the personal needs of the learner as well as what the requirements are for the national development,” Al-Nuaimi commented.
