Middle East – A Sea of Educational Opportunities It is a popular belief that education in the Middle East is lagging. But the past decade saw a voluminous growth in the education sector here. According to the World Bank’s statistics, the literacy rate in the Middle East stands at 80 percent.
The powers that be, have emphasised on the importance of education for all and have invested huge amounts to realise their goals. Girls too have been able to reap the benefits of education with the governments making right to education compulsory for women.
In a study on education in the Middle East, around a decade ago the striking school dropout rate, literacy rate and gender disparity swung the governments into action, and they started working towards improving the situation. Yet, earlier it was not as bad. In fact, it was known for its education system that contributed to the economic and social development of the country. Later, plagued with political and other conflicts the Middle East saw an adverse impact on their education system. The startling revelations by the study saw reforms in education policies and efforts by the government to bring about a change.
This saw an increase in the rate of enrolment in schools, reduced drop out rates and improved quality of education. It also saw a rise in the literacy rate among girls.
The rich oil reserves have traditionally attracted expats and the present-day diversified businesses that have seen migration from across the globe prompted renowned international schools to set up their campuses in the Middle East.
Middle East, today, is much more than the sand dunes, dates, and oil reserves or the Burj Khalifa. It is a land of businesses in diverse fields and provides immense opportunities for entrepreneurship. This calls for excellence in education not just for the economy of the country but also to equip the next generations to make their mark offshore.
The country has a young population that wants to explore avenues abroad and make their mark which can be achieved only through education at par with the global institutions. Many young Arab youth are placed in universities of global repute for higher education. This has been possible only due to the enhanced level of academics at primary, secondary and high school levels.
Our latest top education magazine edition of The Knowledge Review, Most Valuable Schools to Watch in the Middle-East Volume-1, talks about the schools and educators who have made a difference in the Middle East region and have dramatically changed the educational scenario in the region.
We hope you find the edition as interesting as we did while curating it.
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