The Role Of Education In Saudi Arabia

I am living in a critical time in Saudi Arabia, a time that going through many changes in the Saudi society and culture. When I was growing up, it was not acceptable to doubt or question authority figures. People used to take whatever the government is saying as the only truth there is. I believe that it was a result of the education system in Saudi Arabia. The education system did not encourage the students to critically think and discuss simple matter as poetry, let alone current events that occupy the public opinion. The education system was a system that gave information as the only truth and the students were just receiving it. As a result, People feared questioning the government and their actions. However, I see that the fear is beginning …show more content…
This division happened when the Saudi government had sent students all over the globe to obtain knowledge in the finest schools and institutes, so they can aid in the developing process of the newly established country. That generation brought most of the leaders that made significant change in the modern history of Saudi. Moreover, this generation was the first generation who tried to destroy the barrier between the government and the people. They wanted to bring what they have learnt abroad to Saudi, they wanted to bring the critical questioning and criticizing to the country. Nonetheless, these people were divided into two main groups. The first group was able be a part of the government and played an important role in leading the country, who was responsible for most of the changes in Saudi. As a consequence, that group suffered an enormous amount of accusations by some people, claiming that group wanted to destroy the traditions and values in order to westernize the country, which resulted in being an outcast from some parts of the society. The second group is those who did not want to be a part of that heat, they wanted to blend in the society. As a result, the society became …show more content…
At the beginning of any discussion regarding the current events and issues, his opinion goes with the flow, conservative, not too criticizing. However, when the discussion starts to heat up, he becomes analytic and criticizing. I believe he is like that because he had lived in two completely different cultures. One is in Saudi Arabia and the other was in the United States. He had to become someone else in order to fit back in his society. On the other hand, I have a similar but different experience. I am currently studying in the United States, the same city he studied in, and that is the similar part. The different part is that I will not have to change to fit in the society because the society is changing. The society in Saudi Arabia society is becoming more open minded to different view points, and I believe that happened because of social media. Furthermore, I have never seen the amount of critical analysis and criticism in Saudi Arabia. Analyzing and criticizing matter that concern the people such as, health and education. Also, the new King and his government are aware of that change and they are not fighting it. In one of the King’s recent speeches, he said that he encourages the change in the people level of awareness. I believe having a mature and aware population is needed and important in moving forward in the world. I can see change in the Saudi culture and I