Educational Policy in Saudi ArabiaHell Fire in Primary School [Archives:2008/1139/Opinion]

By: Joseph Croitoru
Saudi Arabia is hoping to modernise its image with new school textbooks. The new books were published recently and made available in the internet. Joseph Croitoru has read them, and reports that they leave an ambiguous impression

Following the attacks of 11th September, in which the majority of those involved were Saudi nationals, international attention focussed on the Saudi education system. Studies by Western experts showed that, not only did education in the Kingdom concentrate very strongly on religion, it was also extremely tendentious. In 2006 an American study demonstrated that Saudi children were taught to be missionaries of Islam.

The religion was to be spread, if necessary, by Holy War. In addition, children were told that they had to continue to defend themselves against the Crusades – which were still continuing. Violence against Jews was glorified, and the anti-semitic forgery “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion”” was taught as fact.

Rigid education with a tendentious approach

The Saudi education ministry has recently reacted to these criticisms