1-3 main challenges facing the educational system at the ... · 1-3 main challenges facing the...

1-3 Main Challenges Facing the Educational System at the Beginning of the 21st Century

1.3.1 Institutional Evaluation and its Impact on the Education

The institutional evaluation is one of the Ministry of Education’s priorities. It is a significant challenge that made the Ministry to think about the establishment of the Measurement and Evaluation Center for enhancing the quality of education and achieving the education objectives.

1.3.2 Evaluation Process Mechanism

The Ministry of Education endeavors to fulfill the education outputs by using several kinds of evaluation instruments and methods which express the truly teacher standard and provide a comprehensive and integrated image of them.

1.3.3 Information Technology

The rapid advancement of information technology and its impact on the teaching process became a challenge that made the Ministry concerns about developing this technology through developmental projects which took a clear space in the Ministry’s priorities such as the King Hamad’s Schools of the Future.

1.3.4 Teacher Training

The comprehensive development witnessed by the Kingdom of Bahrain in the educational field made various teacher education and training programmes meet the needs of this development and the main challenge of the Ministry vision.

1.3.5 Education Outputs

In view of the new challenges faced by the Ministry under the scientific, technological and informatics revolution, and responding to the globalization requirements, there is a need to find jobs for the education outputs suit the labour market demands, the development needs and academic and scientific capacity building. Therefore the Ministry of Education in the Kingdom of Bahrain paid a special attention to the secondary education development within the framework of unification of tracks project by organizing seminars and conferences participated by top specialists from the Ministry, labour market, higher education and external experiences to draw a flexible conception in which the Ministry can reorient the education towards the development service and develop cooperation relations and mutual confidence between the Ministry of Education and the industrial firms.

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2- QUALITY OF EDUCATION FOR ALL YOUNG PEOPLE: PRIORITIES, TRENDS AND CHALLENGES

2.1 Educational and Gender Equality

Gender parity index in education in the Kingdom of Bahrain is equal and balanced between both boys and girls. This reflects the Bahraini society’ view of the importance of both males and females and equality of opportunity and considered as a social insurance for both sexes’ future. It is worth mentioning that the number of secondary education female students exceeds the number of males. The percentage of females reached (52%) of the total number of secondary education students in 2002/2003. Based on the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Constitution in its seventh article, it guaranteed the right to compulsory and free education for all without discrimination. It also stressed on the provision of equality of opportunity for every individual to develop his/her aptitudes, abilities and skills in favour of his/her self-actualization and life and society development as well as diversification of educational opportunities that suit the citizen abilities and needs. Despite that education is not co-education, but the curriculum, textbooks, teaching methodologies, teaching materials and examination and evaluation systems are the same for all according to the central system that allows the development for all and awards the diligent of both sexes with scholarships and fellowships according to the percentage of superiority without any discrimination. For the industrial secondary education, it is still for males only. The Ministry has prepared a study aimed at introducing specialized industrial areas for girls such as: computer maintenance, household equipment maintenance and design and decoration, but this matter stopped at this point due to the fact that the Bahraini society in its conservative nature does not accept easily to employ girls in industrial firms and companies side by side with boys. Those girls who like to join the labour market usually enter the commercial secondary education track where many job opportunities are available after their graduation such as sales, travel agents and secretarial work. These kinds of jobs are acceptable socially in the Kingdom. The religious education in the Kingdom is also for males only. Due to the equality of opportunity in education for both sexes, the curriculum development is carried out to meet the needs of the society. There is no special curriculum for girls and that for boys. The curriculum is taking into consideration the needs of both sexes equally, For example, biology curriculum deals with the biological aspects of both sexes and taught to both girls and boys. At the commercial secondary schools, all the field training practices and internal training in the simulation halls are unified for all in conformity with mechanisms and instruments based on mastering basic competencies.

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2.2 Education and Social Inclusion

There is no such situation in the Kingdom of Bahrain making threat to the social cohesion that can be considered as a phenomenon that require to make certain actions for it. But the efforts made both by the government and societies in the social field, led to giving more attention to those with special needs. For example, the blind children can pursue their studies until the secondary stage in special institutions and in the government schools. Special examinations were designed for them. Special efforts also have been made to enroll the children with Down’s syndrome as well as those with other special needs in primary government schools with the provision of special care for them.

With the openness and transparency climate in the Kingdom of Bahrain, some youth groups may have visions’ confusion or may exposed to ideological attraction from some political and belief movements, but this does not exceed to be as a phenomenon threaten the social cohesion. Such cases if occurred are treated separately, which ensure the preservation of the social cohesion.

Dropouts are exceptional from the above. Although the dropout rate is very low (0.5% for intermediate education and 1.8% for secondary education), but it represents a type of negative effect on the social cohesion if no care is provided for this group of people. Therefore, the Ministry of Education with the coordination of other concerned ministries and government bodies took actions in this matter by providing alternative educational and training programmes for this group, such as the vocational training programme for dropouts which is implemented in the industrial secondary schools and aimed at preparing this group of people to master certain occupations required by the labour market.

This programme includes technical specializations in the following: furniture carpentry and decoration, refrigerating and air conditioning, plumbing and car dyeing, diesel machine maintenance, sanitary works and buildings and welding. The duration of study in this programme is two years including in-company training period.

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2.3 Education and Competencies for Life

The man objective of education is represented in the preparation of the individual for the future, as the humanity stand at the threshold of a new era; its features are clear through the human knowledge explosion and the amazing advancement in applied sciences. In the middle of these challenges, Bahrain is looking forward to the future and its dimensions, believing in the Bahraini citizen, having confidence in his capacity and having respect to his/her humanity.

In the light of the need to rewrite the education objectives and functions to cope with the 21st century climate, the Ministry of Education is making its efforts to achieve these directions through the implementation of big projects that deal mainly with enhancing and improving the quality of secondary education.

2.3.1 King Hamad’s Schools of the Future

Since 2001, the Ministry of Education has decided to draw a strategy to employ ICT in education, not just providing computer laboratories with equipment and teaching computer as subject matter, but developing new environment for e-learning too, in order to face the national development requirements and to get benefit from the opportunities offered by the big technological innovations in this field, specially after the spreading and development of the internet.

On 19th May 2002, The Cabinet has approved in its session No. (1684) the formation of working group to set a proposal for science, technology and innovation within the framework of the Bahrain future vision chaired by H.E. the Minister of Education. It includes a focal point at the Ministry of Education to cover ICT in education.

These efforts were crowned with the initiative of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa, the King of Bahrain, who patronized this project and gave it His Majesty’s name as a direct support and appreciation from him towards this important project for the Kingdom prosperity, and transforming Bahrain to developed stage in education that produces the best of citizens. This project is considered as a substantial turning point from traditional education to ICT future-based which will support the Kingdom’s direction to transform the government work to e-government system. (See appendix No. 1 for more details). 2.3.2 Unification of Secondary Education Tracks Project

This project is one of the Ministry’s priorities. It has an impact on the preparation of the manpower needed by the comprehensive development in the Kingdom of

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Bahrain due to the big transforms witnessed by the Bahraini society during the last few years. The Bahraini educational development did not stop, but it needs to be identified comprehensively and integrally to cover the education structure, contents and methods. This is what H.E. Majid Bin Ali Al-Noaimi the Minister of Education has expressed clearly in his document “The Broader Lines of the Education Developmental Vision in the Kingdom of Bahrain”.

To implement this vision, the Ministry has started to implement this project that expresses the general policy of the Kingdom in education development. In this regard, a Ministerial decision No. 141/2002 dated 14th May 2003 has issued concerning the formation of the following committees:

- The Unification of Academic Secondary Education Tracks High Committee chaired by H.E. the Minister of Education.

- Education, Curriculum and Student Evaluation Committee. - Teacher Training, Manpower and Information Technology Committee. - Educational Environment Committee. - Conferences and Symposia Committee. - Information Committee. - The General Secretary for the Unification of Academic Secondary

Education Tracks High Committee.

The Ministry has undertook the participation principle in developing secondary education by holding symposia, in which the administrative and teaching staff at secondary schools and educational specialists at the Ministry of Education have participated to express their opinions and views about this project. It is ended by holding an educational conference participated by concerned government and academic institutions as well as the civil society. (See appendix No. 1 for more details). 2.3.3 Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa’s Prize for Distinguished

Educational Performance On May 2003, H.H the Prim Minister Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa’s Prize for Distinguished Educational Performance has announced to be awarded to the most distinguished school aiming at motivating the government schools to compete with each other in the enhancement of the quality of education area according to four areas, namely school leadership, school environment, teaching-learning processes and school activities. In 2002/2003, Um Salama intermediate school for girls was honored as a winner school in the 35th Education Day under the patronage of H. H. the Prim Minister Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa’s (See appendix No. 1 for more details).

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2.3.4 Industrial Secondary Education Development Project The study structure of the developed system of industrial secondary education has considered giving the student an opportunity to select the study track and specialization that go in line with his abilities and interests. In this regard the following have been carried out:

a- The study structure included two tracks, namely, technical track for those who like to continue their engineering study and applied track for those who like to join the labour market. Each track contains a group of technical specializations needed by the labour market.

b- Vocational Guidance Unit has been assigned in each industrial secondary school, and been generalized to accompany the student education starting from intermediate stage and during his study in the industrial secondary education and following him up after the graduation.

c- Implementation of the Quality Assurance on the entire education system elements at the industrial secondary schools in order to assure the availability of the entire necessary components that make the students able to master the desired vocational competencies.

d- Introduction of several new courses such as, problem-solving, working with others, quality concept and contemporary issues, vocational health and safety and establishment of small projects. All these courses are of the labour market requirements, aimed at preparing the student for work life or future study, helping him to join easily the work or study environment. Moreover, in-company training programme was introduced, which is considered as a prerequisite for graduation.

e- Expansion of computer teaching and directing its application towards a practical side by introducing drawing course by using Auto Cad, providing the industrial secondary school with sufficient numbers of computer labs and software and training teachers on employing computer in teaching.

f- Setting-up student Councils in the schools; making the students as members in the committees concerned with their issues such as guidance committee smoking fighting committee, health and safety committee and sport, cultural and social activities committee; and providing all he necessary facilities to ensure the student effective participation in those activities.

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2.4 Quality Education and the Key Role of Teachers

The Ministry of Education in the Kingdom of Bahrain is concerning about the upgrading the technical, educational, administrative and functional standards of its teachers, considering the key role they can play in developing the teaching-learning processes and improving their outputs. In the light of the Recommendations of the forty-fifth session of the International Conference on Education (ICE) concerning the status and the role of teachers, the following necessary actions have been taken to implement these recommendations as follow: 2.4.1 To what extent have the Declaration and the Recommendations of

the forty-fifth session of the ICE influenced national policies concerning the status and the role of teachers?

The influence of the Declaration and the Recommendations of the forty-fifth session of the ICE concerning the status and the role of teachers on the education system in Bahrain was very strong. In the light of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s efforts to make education able to do its effective role in the national socio-economic development, the Kingdom has paid a great attention to the teacher role, considering him/her as educational process nerve and its success heart and most effective in upbringing the children. Thus, the Ministry was concern about the improvement of teacher professional, social and economic status in terms of continuing professional efficiency upgrading, developing the mechanisms of their effective participation in the development plans and programmes that go in line with the functional democratic ways and suit the recent requirements. The Education Developmental Vision in the Kingdom of Bahrain approved by the Cabinet on 13th April 2003 has focused on the teacher education and training, the foremost achievements in this regard are as follow:

a- Re-structuring the teacher education programmes to include the entire groups: beginning teachers and apprentice teachers within the National Training Programme, senior teachers and deputy principals.

b- Providing annual scholarships and fellowships for teachers to obtain higher academic degrees such as master degrees or PhDs in the academic specialization.

c- Upgrading the teachers’ proficiency in English language, computer literacy and technology application in teaching according to a long term and advance level programmes.

d- Providing regular teacher training courses in the subject matter, teaching methods and student evaluation.

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e- Preparing teachers educationally by sending annual group on scholarships-bases to pursue their diploma in education at the University of Bahrain.

f- Issuing internal legislations and decisions to review the teaching status of old teachers, decreasing their teaching load and coordinating with the other Ministries in regard to their health and psychological conditions.

g- Finding effective mechanisms for teacher incentive in accordance with a group of materialistic, immaterial, and peculiar qualitative incentives.

h- Preparing a new teacher cadre in accordance with the reformative and developmental changes aiming at encouraging the distinguished groups to join the teaching profession and providing opportunities for all teachers to be promoted and hold high professional grades based on their experiences and qualifications.

i- Activating the teacher participation in the educational decision making and joining them in the projects committees, such as King Hamad’s Schools of Future project committee and unification of academic secondary education tracks project committees.

j- Sending teachers to participate in the internal and external educational conferences in order to be acquainted with and utilize the advanced educational practices and others experiences.

k- Enhancing the teacher participation in the schools and providing them with opportunities to make their recommendations on the profession development. In this regard the Ministry has established school administration councils, parent-teacher councils in each school to encourage them to participate in the enrichment of internal school capacity building.

l- Providing advanced computers to be used by the teaching staff and facilitating their works in all the government schools.

m- Establishing the Teacher Learning Resources Centers as a permanent site for intellectual, cultural and literature and educational forums and activating their social and relations programmes.

n- Establishment of the first Teacher Society in the Kingdom of Bahrain to cope with the general reforms of the Kingdom and encouraging its members to rise their professional demands and participate in their implementation.

o- The Ministry provides annual scholarships and fellowships to the teachers’ children in honor of their efforts in the education service.

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2.4.2 What special measures have been taken on the basis of the Declaration and the Recommendations of the forty-fifth session of the ICE concerning the status and the role of teachers?

Recommendation No. 1:

Recruitment of teachers: attracting the most competent young people to teaching

- Selecting future teacher in accordance with certain specifications and criteria.

- Implementing such activities to aware the young people of the importance of the teaching profession and encouraging them to join it.

- Preparing the distinguished students to join the teaching profession and encouraging them to do research and participate in the teachers’ lectures and symposia.

- Providing incentives and fellowships to the students who prove that they have a great amount of educational ability and have a desire to join the teaching profession.

- Encouraging qualified individuals from other professions to join the teaching profession.

- Presenting the teacher role in the society and his/her achievements in the Teacher Day (5th October of each year).

- Strengthening the relations with the professional societies to recruit professionals in the teaching process.

- Taking care of the teacher and presenting his/her roles by the mass-media (press, radio and television).


Pre-service training: a better linkage between pre-service training and the demands of an innovatory profession activity

- Identifying the academic and educational qualifications such as the bachelor degree with educational qualification as a condition to join the teaching profession at various educational stages.

- Stressing on the teaching practice programmes at the university to build the professional student’s personality and to make him/her gain such experience in teaching the required specialization in addition to the academic and educational lessons the student got before joining the teaching profession.

- Offering a group of interesting teacher training programmes in order to provide the teachers with the appropriate academic and professional

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qualifications that make them able to produce youth leadership capable in facing the society requirements in various specializations and contributing in the various fields of development.


In-service training: both a right and a duty for all educational personnel

The Ministry has offered its employee of both sexes the right to in-service continuing training. The foremost achievements in this regard will be shown in the next paragraph (2.4.3).


The involvement of teachers and other agents in the process of transforming education: autonomy and responsibility

- Teacher participation in the annual educational conferences, workshops, symposia and projects aiming at improving, developing and enhancing the quality of education.

- Participation of qualified teachers in the curriculum development process through the development committees such as the Curriculum Consultative Committee and the Teacher Consultative Committee … etc.

- Exchanging teacher pioneer experiences with each other. Recommendation No. 5:

Teachers and their partners in the educational process: education as a responsibility for all

The Ministry has made the local society participate in the educational process and enhanced this communication and partnership through the following: - Parents Councils have had a great role in enhancing the communication

between teachers, students and families. - The civil society institutions and their contribution in the development of

education. - The contribution of the private sector in funding some educational centers

such as the Center for the Gifted. - The open day and its influence on the interaction strategy between home

and school. - The society participation in the school activities represented in various

events, festivals and carnivals participated by teachers, students and the local society institutions.

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Recommendation No. 6: New information and communication technologies: serving to improve the quality of education for all

- Using modern ICT in education aiming at enhancing and improving the quality of education represented in: o King Hamad’s Schools of Future. o Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Technology Institute.

- Employing modern technology to facilitate the teacher-student-school communication.

- Introducing computer and internet in the teaching-learning process as well as the government school administrative works.

- Using computer in listing and analyzing the school examination results and providing a database for this purpose in the government schools.

- Supplying an informatics network to provide the schools with educational portals that serve the school administration, teachers, students and parents via the Information and Documentation Center at the Ministry.

- Providing specialized teachers with qualifications in educational technology.

- Research development and information exchange on the impact of modern technology on the teaching-learning process.


Professionalization as a strategy for improving the status and working conditions of teachers

- Introducing the teachers’ cadre aiming at improving their job status, this in turn reflects on the teacher performance in the teaching-learning process.

- Giving teachers an opportunity to hold leadership positions in education. - Continuing encouragement of teachers by key persons at the Ministry of

Education as well as the administrative staff to shoulder their educational role.

- Providing encouraging incentives to the distinguished teacher with long services and the retired teachers and honored annually on the Education Day and Teacher Day.

- Giving scholarships and financial fellowships to the Ministry of Education employees and the teacher’s children.

- Highlighting on the distinguished teachers’ works on the Education Day and exhibitions aiming at upgrading the teacher standard morally and materially.

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Solidarity with teachers working in difficult situation

- Providing the teachers with security by enhancing their role in the profession, lessening their professional loads and decreasing the teaching loads taking into consideration their health conditions.


Regional and international co-operation: an instrument to promote teacher mobility and competence

- Exchanging educational visit between Arab and foreign countries and making teachers participate in these visits in order to disseminate the others cultures, knowledge and educational experiences and to encourage the educational communication between each other.

- Participating in holding regional and international educational conferences on teachers to discuss all the matters occur on the education arena.

2.4.3 How are pre-service and in-service teacher education being

formed in order for them to serve the new challenges facing education?

- Based on the development plan approved by the Ministry for the coming five years (2003-2007), the Ministry policy is still continuing the adoption of continuing education. The Directorate of Training is doing its best to implement the developmental projects through the Ministry’s employees’ continuing training, upgrading their efficiencies and enhancing their performance. A new method in manpower education and training is adopted for professionalization of teaching purpose, as well as to upgrade the teachers levels and to follow up their professional development in order to carry out their tasks effectively and efficiently and to make their students capable of mastering necessary self learning skills to reach knowledge learning which in turn will make them able to build their knowledge by themselves and utilize the information technology and various knowledge channels. Perhaps, the current trend towards the training of all e-learning staff for the schools of future is translating the perspicacious vision of His Majesty King Hamad towards the preparation of new knowledge-maker generation that suit the future requirements for the enhancement of the educational policy toward a new horizons.

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- Both the Ministry and the teachers themselves paid a significant attention to in-service training. The Ministry is always enhancing the continuing education concept. Therefore, it will implement in the near future the teaching license. This license will link the job promotion with the professional development. The condition to get benefit from the services and facilities provided by the Ministry such as the scholarships is depend on the obtaining of a new training certificate, the case that will encourage the teachers to ask for more training.

- The Ministry of Education considers in-service training as a right for the educators. Therefore, one can find that the current training programmes carried out by the Directorate of Training such as computer training programmes are comply with the modern orientations that make the teacher possesses high professional competencies in which it copes with his new role under the future changes. From the other side, the education training is a key issue for both the beginning and experienced teachers, therefore, the educational training system obligates the teacher to attend training programmes, and makes the training compulsory and linked to certain groups of procedures. The recruiting contract for the beginning teacher is conditioned on attending training courses organized by the Ministry. The Ministry also set training condition as a major one for teacher promotion. So, the Ministry’s new strategy stresses and insists on the provision of minimum training for each teacher.

- Within the Ministry’s trends towards in-school training aimed at encouraging the school’s practices efforts in professionalization, self learning and upgrading the efficiency of the school staff, the cooperative school project shows up to take care of training on the school level. A training committee was formed for the cooperative schools with the responsibility of organizing training programmes with the cooperation of the Educational Guidance Unit and Directorate of Training at the Ministry.

- The Ministry pays a special attention to the beginning teachers during their teaching practice by providing them with job readiness programme. It is an orientation programme aims at providing the teachers with basic skills necessary for teaching profession. The teacher then set for formative evaluation carried out by the school principal and the educational advisor during the first three months. The Ministry is convinced that the teacher tasks at the beginning will have impact on his next professional development. In addition to that, the Directorate of Training is organizing a group of training programmes for those beginning teachers including

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academic subject matter and professional development throughout their entire work life.

- In the light of the continuing coordination between the Ministry and the University of Bahrain regarding the teacher education area, a joint coordination committee between them was formed chaired by the Undersecretary. One of the main tasks of this committee is to set communication mechanism between the pre-service training and in-service training. Through the decisions and recommendations reached by this committee, the future school teachers will get an opportunity to get acquainted with the problems faced by the teaching practice and solutions from the previous experience.

- The Ministry has established Teacher Learning Resources Centers to provide teachers with professional support. The Ministry is in the process of increasing the number of these centers throughout the Kingdom governorates.

- As one type of professional support for industrial and commercial education teachers, the Ministry has organized lately programmes with coordination of the industrial and commercial firms and companies to make teachers able to get benefit of linking the theoretical part with practical part of teaching

- The Ministry, represented by the Directorate of Training is making its efforts towards developing the performance of all the educational staff whatever their roles. Consequently, it organizes training programmes in the Kingdom and abroad for both the administrative and technical staff in order to develop their administrative and supervision roles and preparing them to undertake the role of educational guidance, such programmes are as follows: the distinguished principal programme, school administration diploma programme, job readiness programme for new deputy principal and other specialized programmes in educational management and supervision. The Ministry is also providing academic programmes to many principals and supervisors inside and outside the Kingdom, especially within the Ministry’s trends towards in-school training. The Directorate of Training is sending on scholarships all the deputy principals to the University of Bahrain to obtain school administration diploma.

- To achieve this recommendation, the Ministry, represented by the Directorate of Training endeavors in all its programmes to make the University of Bahrain professors participate in these training programmes,

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and sometimes these programmes are organized in the University itself. The Directorate of Training is also evaluating these programmes and acquaints those professors of their outcomes.

- In accordance with the teacher performance reports and recruiting tests results, specialized programmes for the weak teachers and those who did not pass the test organized by the Ministry aiming at upgrading the professional efficiencies and develop their knowledge with the current educational advancements. From the other side, the Ministry is sending annually on scholarship-bases the teachers who do not hold an educational qualification to the Universities to obtain education diploma. It also has sent lately to the University of Bahrain a group of industrial teachers who do not hold bachelor degree to get it.

2.5 Education for Sustainable Development

The Ministry of Education has focused on the knowledge as a key for sustainable development and oriented all its educational programmes to achieve the quality knowledge for all learners. It also launched big projects to develop the technical infrastructure such as King Hamad’s Schools of Future and designed teacher training programmes to implement teaching strategies based on the enlighten of the learners’ critical thinking and help them to develop their high intellectual power. The Ministry focused its administrative procedures and technical follow up on the activation of the Learning Resources Centers’ role in schools to be an important resource for research and investigation. The Kingdom of Bahrain has also carried out many strategies and programmes that focus on the human development and institutional capacity building. The Kingdom has cooperated with the UNDP in implementing many activities that aim at supporting and enhancing the sustainable human development. The education role is considered distinguished and critical in putting the first bricks in the sustainable human development economically and socially. The foremost achievements made by the Ministry in education for sustainable development can be summarized as follow: 2.5.1 Basic Education

- A developed curriculum for English language teaching in primary education was designed. The Ministry has started teaching English language from the forth primary grade, then it tended to teach it from the

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third primary grade and it will be tried in the first primary grade from the school year 2004/2005 believing in the necessary of acquiring this language at early age.

- Design and Technology subject has been introduced. It started fro the first primary grade since 1999/2000. It is a project aiming at improving the education outputs and developing the pupils’ vocational and creative sense.

- Sustainable development is taught in several subject matters, especially in social studies and sciences from the first cycle of basic education. Topics on earth resources, work, production, construction and health development, social and economic services, environment, nutrition, youth and the role of world organizations in this field are taught in the kingdom of Bahrain as well as the Arabian Gulf Countries and Arab States.

- Economic development and training needs are also taught. Topics related to citizenship have been deepened in the curriculum to include democracy, government system, rights and duties, justice and peace and other concepts, skills, trends and values. The Directorate of Curricula has also introduced a document on life skills curriculum.

2.5.2 Secondary Education

- The development directions are stressing in this stage on achieving more of conformity and connection between education programmes and plans and the productive work requirements and profession specifications in the labour market. Therefore stakeholders and specialists from various government and private sectors together with the specialists at the Ministry of Education have participated in the development committees. Some of the productive and services establishments are participating in the subject-matters consultative committees in particular that concerned with the technical and vocation education within the unification of secondary education track project. (See appendix 1 for more details).

- Computer skills learning became one of the main subjects that every secondary school student should learn. All the secondary schools are provided with very well equipped computer labs connected to the internet in addition to the production of multi-media programmes for all the curricula.

- Technical education gains a special attention in secondary education development. The industrial secondary education’s study plan has took into consideration the availability of sufficient amount of integration among its components by making balance between the general cultural courses such as Arabic and English languages, Islamic education,

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contemporary issues and computer applications. The curriculum specialists are directed to link the topics of each curriculum with the current and future study nature and focus on the values that achieve the following objectives: a- Strengthening the Islamic faith and understanding the main concepts

of Islam as a comprehensive way for life. b- Enhancing the citizenship spirit. c- Linking the main competencies of the curriculum with the labour

market requirements and adopting the in-site training principle by implementing the Quality Assurance System.

d- Preparing the distinguished students to pursue their post-secondary education.

e- Acquiring the students with main requirements that qualify them to be productive persons and intellectual and scientific creators to join the production and services career.

f- Developing the work values such as responsibility-shouldering, effort-making, cooperation, performance-accuracy, initiative, time respect and appreciation, and work punctuality as a big value in the life of the individual and society.

g- Acquiring the students with concepts, directions and trends that make them use the free time in a way that help them to develop their physical, intellectual and psychological abilities.

- Commercial education has stressed on the importance of upgrading the graduate level by practicing in the commercial laboratory and in-site training, as well as activating the simulation halls, providing them with advanced computers and using them as an application center to ensure the quality of the graduate who master the competencies that guarantee for him/her to find an appropriate jib in the labour market.

- Topics related to the sustainable development are taught at this educational stage, especially in economic geography and economics principles such as agricultural and industrial development in addition to the development models in the world such as the European model and new industrial countries models.

- Several issues related to the development are taught in the social studies such as environment protection, pollutions, desertification, population growth and technological advancement in the people cultures … etc.

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3- DOCUMENTARY REFERENCES

The following are the main

1- Bahrain: UNDP. Human Development Report State of Bahrain: Achievements and Challenges of Human Development. - Bahrain: UNDP, 1998. 157p (in Arabic and English); 30cm.

2- Bahrain: Ministry of Education. National Report of the State of Bahrain: Education For All the Year 2000 Assessment. - Bahrain: the Ministry, 1999. 89p (in Arabic and English); 30cm

3- Bahrain: Ministry of Education, General and Technical Education Sector. The Parents Council Charter of 1999. – Bahrain: the Ministry, 1999. 6p (in Arabic); 30cm.

4- Bahrain: Ministry of Education. A Report on the Regional Arab Conference on Education For All (24 – 27 January 2000): the Year 2000 Assessment. - Bahrain: the Ministry, 2000. 4p (in Arabic); 30cm.

5- Bahrain: Ministry of Education, Directorate of Primary Education. Primary Education Guidebook. - Bahrain: the Ministry, 2000. 99p (in Arabic); 24cm.

6- World Education Forum (Senegal: 2000). - Paris: UNESCO, 2000. 51p (in Arabic) + 36p (in English); 30cm.

7- Bahrain: UNDP. Human Development Report State of Bahrain for 2001: Labour Market, Education and Challenges of Human Development. - Bahrain: UNDP, 2001. 141 (in Arabic); 29cm.

8- Bahrain National Work Charter. - Bahrain, 2001. 31p (in Arabic); 21cm.

9- Bahrain: Ministry of Education, Information and Documentation Center, Educational Documentation Section. Development of Education in the State of Bahrain: A National Report Submitted to the 46th of the ICT. – Bahrain: the Ministry, 2001. 139p (in Arabic) + 118p (in English); 30cm.

10- Bahrain: Ministry of Education. Annual Report: A Report on the Ministry of Education Achievements for the School Year 2000/2001. - Bahrain: the Ministry, 2001. 102p. (in Arabic); 30cm.

11- AlBaharnah, Nezar Sadeq. Fundamentals of Commercial Secondary Education Development to Face the Labour Market Needs in the Kingdom of Bahrain. - Bahrain: Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 2002. 9p (in Arabic); 30cm. (Paper presented to the Conference on the

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Development of Commercial Secondary Education Curriculum in the Kingdom of Bahrain: 21 – 22 May 2002).

12- Kingdom of Bahrain Constitution. – Bahrain: Ministry of Information, 2002. 64p. (in Arabic); 15cm.

13- Bahrain: Ministry of Education. Highlights on the Ministry of Education Projects and Programmes: 2002 – 2006. – Bahrain: the Ministry, 2002. 16p. (in Arabic); 30cm.

14- Bahrain: Ministry of Education, Directorate of Intermediate and Secondary Education. Industrial Secondary Education Guide: 2001/2002. – Bahrain: the Ministry, 2002. 93p. (in Arabic) + 14p. (In English); 24cm.

15- Bahrain: Ministry of Education, Directorate of Planning and Programming. Projects and Programmes of the Main Directions for Education Development in the Next Stage: for the Financial Years 2001 and 2002. – Bahrain: the Ministry, 2002. 139p. (in Arabic); 30cm.

16- Bahrain: Ministry of Education, Directorate of Curricula. Commercial Secondary Education and the Comprehensive Development Requirements in the Kingdom of Bahrain. – Bahrain: the Ministry, 2002. 29p. (in Arabic); 30cm. – (Report presented to the Conference on the Development of Commercial Secondary Education Curriculum in the Kingdom of Bahrain: 21 – 22 May 2002).

17- Bahrain: Ministry of Education, Directorate of Curricula. Commercial Secondary Education Development Project. – Bahrain: the Ministry, 2002. 17p. (in Arabic); 30cm. – (A document presented to the Conference on the Development of Commercial Secondary Education Curriculum in the Kingdom of Bahrain: 21 – 22 May 2002).

18- Jumah, Hassan Hasan. Towards Enhancing the Quality of General Secondary Education. – Bahrain: Ministry of Education, 2002. 23p. (in Arabic); 30cm. – (Paper presented to the Symposium on General Secondary Education Development: 6- 8 April 2002).

19- AlKhayat, Naheda Ebrahim; Jum’an, Ebrahim Mohammed and AlBaharnah, Safia Sadeq. General Secondary Education: Reality and Ambition. – Bahrain: Ministry of Education, 2002. 21p. (in Arabic); 30cm. - (Paper presented to the Symposium on General Secondary Education Development: 6- 8 April 2002).

20- AlSulaiti, Mariam Khameis. Glimpses of Education’s Development in the Kingdom of Bahrain during the Twentieth Century: 1900 – 2000. –

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Bahrain: Ministry of Education, 2002. 90p. (in Arabic) + 92p. (In English); 24cm.

21- Bahrain: Ministry of Education. Broader Lines of the Education Development Vision in the Kingdom of Bahrain. – Bahrain: the Ministry, 2003. 23p. (in Arabic); 30cm.

22- Bahrain: Ministry of Education. Information Paper on the Unification of Secondary Education Tracks Project in the Kingdom of Bahrain. – Bahrain: the Ministry, 2003. 23p. (n Arabic); 30cm

23- Bahrain: Ministry of Education, Education, Curriculum and Educational Evaluation Committee. A Draft of the Secondary Education Curriculum within the Unification Tracks System. – Bahrain: the Ministry, 2003. 16p. (in Arabic); 30cm.

24- Bahrain: Ministry of Education. His Majesty King Hamad’s Schools of Future Project and Information Technology within the Unification of Secondary Education Tracks Project. – Bahrain: the Ministry, 2004. 23p. (in Arabic); 30cm.

25- Bahrain: Ministry of Education, Directorate of Primary Education. Workshop on the Educational Supervision: An Effective Strategy for Education Quality development. – Bahrain: the Ministry, 2004. 80p. (in Arabic); 30cm.

26- Bahrain: Ministry of Education, Information and Documentation Center, Educational Documentation Section. Educational Innovations in the Kingdom of Bahrain: 2003 – 2004. – Bahrain: the Ministry, 2004. 80p. (in Arabic); 30cm.

27- Bahrain: Ministry of Education. Annual Report: The Foremost Ministry of Education Achievements in the School Year 2002/2003. – Bahrain: the Ministry, 2004. 131p. (in Arabic); 30cm.

28- Gulf Countries Council, General Secretariat. The Comprehensive Education Development in the GCC: A Study on the Directions Mentioned in the Supreme Council Resolution, 23rd Session on Education (Doha, December 2002). – Riyadh: GCC, 2004. 137p. (in Arabic); 24cm.

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APPENDICES

APPENDIX 1 OUSTANDING EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTAL PROJECTS IN THE KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

APPENDIX 2 THE STUDY PLANS

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APPENDIX 1

OUSTANDING EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTAL PROJECTS IN THE KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

1.1 His Majesty King Hamad’s Schools of the Future Project 1.2 Unification of Academic Secondary Education Tracks Project 1.3 His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman’s Prize for

Distinguished Educational Performance

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1.1 Project title His Majesty King Hamad’s Schools of Future

Area of project Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching and learning

Responsible body The Executive Committee for His Majesty King Hamad’s Schools of Future Project

Responsible body’s address Ministry of Education, P. O. Box 43, Manama – Kingdom of Bahrain

Co-operating bodies UNESCO, Ministry of Transportation and Bahrain Telecommunication Company (Batelco)

Staffing Specialists at the Directorate of Curricula, Information and Documentation center, Educational Technology Center, Directorate of Training, Directorate of Finance and Budgeting, Directorate of Personnel, Directorate of Intermediate and Secondary Education

Starting date 2004/2005

Completion date 2009/2010

Target group 11,000 secondary school students from 11 schools at the first phase and 1,000 teaching and administrative staff. All the students, teaching and administrative staff and the parents will benefit from this project in the next phases.

Objectives - Making a qualitative turning point in the education system in the Kingdom of Bahrain

- Responding to the direct needs of the national development and the labour market in dealing with modern ICT and ways to reach information.

- Preparing the citizen to access the modern information society and to live with it.

- Investing in the ICT’s potentials to achieve the education quality, promoting its efficiency and achieving the curricula competencies at all educational levels.

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Description The project includes an integrated system comprises of an educational portal to achieve the qualitative turning point in the educational performance under contemporary educational environment, supported by modern educational and information technology. It allows the maximum of the educational interactive, releases the student creativities and provides them with wide movement to search, discuss and compete through the modern technologies that enable the student to observe all the local and international innovations. This requires to develop the curricula gradually and training teachers on using e-learning systems. The project will be implemented in its first phase in all secondary schools. The first group will include (11) secondary schools in the first phase by connecting them with speedy electronically communication network via the central educational portal.

Plans for going to scale The project will be executed in three phases, starting with (11) pilot secondary schools.

Publicizing - Establishing a web site for the project on the internet.

- Disseminating information about the project in the schools

- Establishing a scientific-documentary library for the project.

- Communicating with all media regarding this project.

Evaluation The project will be monitored and evaluated by the Measurement and Evaluation Center which will be established soon. The UNESCO will participate in the evaluation process of this project.

Keywords ICT; electronic school; computer assisted instruction

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Decisions issued - Ministerial decision No. 388/2003 dated 24 September concerning the procedures of executing the His Majesty King Hamad’s Schools of the Future.

- Ministerial decision no. 83/2004 dated 16 March 2004, concerning the formation of a team to evaluate the tender no. 13/2004 of the electronic learning portal for His Majesty King Hamad’s Schools of the Future.

Studies and Reports 1- UNESCO Team Report (November 2001) which included broad plans directed toward this project and showed the good European experiences as a reference.

2- International Symposium on the National Policy of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) held in Bahrain on 22nd April 2001.

3- Quality of education document prepared by the Ministry in January 2003, included the quality of education system in the knowledge era

Source The Executive Committee for His Majesty King

Hamad’s Schools of Future Project

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1.2 Project title Unification of Academic Secondary

Education Tracks

Area of project School system

Responsible body High Committee for the Unification of Academic Secondary Education Tracks project, Ministry of education


Co-operating bodies Non

Staffing (133) members of the committees representing various sectors at the Ministry; teaching and administrative staff at secondary schools; and curriculum, education, training, planning and information technology specialists.

Starting date 2004/2005

Completion date On going

Target group All the general and commercial secondary schools

Objectives - Enhancing the quality of secondary education

outputs to meet the requirements of the labour market and higher education.

- Providing secondary school students with common overall capacity building opportunities.

- Providing the students with different options through one academic track in the secondary school.

- Expanding the university opportunities for the student, by providing him/her with the university entrance opportunity in Bahrain or abroad, as well as applying for the International Baccalaureate (IB).

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Description As part of the wise leadership’s attention to develop and promote the education sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain and in the light of the future educational developmental vision approved by the Cabinet on 13th April 2003, and as part of the comprehensive qualitative development of education, the unification of secondary education tracks project represents a priority in the Ministry’s programme, due to its direct impact on the preparation of individuals needed for the comprehensive development in the Kingdom of Bahrain, particularly in the light of the major changes witnessed by the Bahraini society during the last few years.

In order to execute the future educational developmental vision concerning the unification of secondary education tracks approved by the Cabinet, H.E. the Minister issued a Ministerial decision No. 141/2003 dated 14th May 2003 on forming a High Committee chaired by H.E. the Minister to study the project and draw up the technical and educational aspects of the project through five sub-committees, formed by Ministerial decisions Nos. 142, 143, 144, 145 and 146/2003 on 17th May 2003. The committees are: Education, Curricula and Educational Innovation Committee, Training, Human Resources and Information Technology Committee, School Environment Committee, Conferences and Seminars Committee and Information Committee. Such sub-committees are divided into other sub-committees and working teams. On 21st May 2003, a Ministerial decision No. 153/2003 was issued concerning the formation of the General Secretariat of the High Committee for Unification of Secondary Education Tracks Committee.

The said committees consist of 133 professional members with experience in this field. The members represent all the Ministry’s sectors, including school administrators of all stages,

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experts, specialists, assistant headmasters, teachers and advisors … etc.

The committees carry out their activities according to a fixed schedule and finished their tasks with the holding of a Conference on the Unification of Secondary Education Tracks during 12 – 14 April 2004.

The Ministry has set a project mechanism in three dimensions: - Preparing all the Ministry of Education’s staff

for such transition stage through meetings, forums, seminars, conferences and preparing curricula and all the other necessary aspects of the new system.

- Qualifying and preparing the secondary school teachers for the new curricula and the new changes that will affect their duties, accumulated experience and attitude towards such changes.

- Informing the parents, public and those who reflect the public opinions formally from other Ministries in the Kingdom, those concerned with these transitions as well as the National Council Members who represent the public opinion and submit their demands and wishes.

The foremost achievements carried out for the preparation of the project implementation are as follow: - Drawing the committees’ work plans. - Visiting public schools to review their reality

in accordance to each committee specialization. - Visiting private schools to review their

experiences in this field. - Reviewing the literature and other countries’

experiences and preparing a study on the education systems in the Arab and foreign countries.

- Preparing the development rationales document.

- Holding on 6th September 2003 a preliminary meeting for the seminar on discussing the

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Committees’ Reports to demonstrate some of the world and Arab secondary education systems and the private schools visit reports.

- Holding on 13th – 16th September 2003 a seminar on the discussing the Committees’ Reports participated by all the 133 committees members.

- Recording on 13th October 2003 a television seminar on the project.

- Conducting a public opinion survey on the unification of secondary education tracks and debates with a number of secondary school graduates published in the local newspapers.

- Carrying out the information covering on the project via the mass media, press, radio and television.

- Holding on 24th December 2003 a seminar on the curricula within the framework of the unification of secondary education tracks project, participated by a number of concerned people from the Ministry of Education, other government bodies and societies aimed at knowing their opinions about the new curricula.

- Holding on 21st January 2004 a seminar on discussing the documents on the unification of secondary education tracks project

- Holding 12th–14th April 2004 an educational conference participated by all the concerned bodies and discussed all the project aspects.

Plans for going to scale The Ministry will base on the gradual implementation of this project before generalization.

Publicizing The project has been publicized through the various mass media (press, radio and television) in addition to the seminars held and the reports distributed to secondary schools.

Evaluation The project is under preparation. It will be implemented in the school year 2004/2005 and will be evaluated after its implementation.

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Keywords Secondary schools; secondary education; secondary education curriculum

Decisions issued - Ministerial decision no. 141/2003 dated 14 May 2003, concerning the formation of a higher committee for unification of academic secondary education tracks.

- Ministerial decision no. 142/2003 dated 17 May 2003, concerning the formation of education, curriculum and evaluation committee.

- Ministerial decision no. 143/2003 dated 17 May 2003, concerning the formation of training, manpower and information technology committee.

- Ministerial decision no. 144/2003 dated 17 May 2003, concerning the formation of educational environment committee.

- Ministerial decision no. 145/2003 dated 17 May 2003, concerning the formation of conferences and seminars committee.

- Ministerial decision no. 146/2003 dated 17 May 2003, concerning the formation of information committee.

- Ministerial decision no. 153/2003 dated 21 May 2003, concerning the formation of the general secretariat for the unification of academic secondary education tracks higher committee.

- Ministerial decision no. 137/2004 dated 21 April 2004, concerning the formation of a committee to study the introduction of commercial secondary track within the unification of academic secondary education tracks

Bibliography - Working paper presented to a seminar on discussing the Committees’ Reports and their future plan: Unification of tracks system (Bahrain, 13th – 16th September 2003). 133p.

- Working paper presented to a seminar on the curricula within the framework of the unification of secondary education tracks project (24th December 2003). 16p.

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- Two working papers presented to a seminar on discussing the documents on the unification of secondary education tracks project (21st January 2004) Evaluation committee paper Education committee paper

- Working papers presented to the conference on the secondary education development within the framework of the unification of tracks (Bahrain 12th – 14th April 2004) The United Arab Emirates experience in

secondary education development / UAE Ministry of Education. Labour market requirements in the Kingdom

of Bahrain / Dr. Majeed bin Mohsen AlAlawi Minister of Labour and Social Affair. The general framework of secondary

education development project / Bahrain Ministry of Education. Secondary education development in the

Kingdom of Bahrain: call for restructuring / Dr. Hamad Ali Alsulaiti. Education development to face requirements

of the labour market in industrial and commercial sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain / Dr. Nezar Sadeq AlBaharnah. Criteria and requirements of preparing

secondary school student from the university of Bahrain perspective / Dr. Noaman Mohammed AlMosawi and Dr. Faisal Isa Shehab. The importance of computer learning to

meet the labour market needs / Dr. Mansoor AlJameri. Ibn Khaldoon National School: A glimpse

on the secondary education curricula / Mr. Samir Shama’ah. Promoting and developing vocational

education and training and lifelong learning / Peter Economic strategy in the Kingdom of

Bahrain and the strategic role for education

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sector / Secondary education development: the

financial sector vision / Dr. Abdulrahman Ali Saif. What the labour market requires from the

secondary school graduate / Mr. Anwar Abdulrahman. Information paper on the unification of

secondary education tracks project / Ministry of Education. Some of the world and Arab secondary

education systems and promoting the private schools visits / Ministry of education.

Source General Secretariat for the Unification of Academic Secondary Education Tracks Project, Ministry of Education

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1.3 Project title His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al-

Khalifa’s Prize for Distinguished Educational Performance

Area of project Evaluation of school performance

Responsible body The High Committee for His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa’s Prize for Distinguished Educational Performance


Co-operating bodies Non

Staffing 92 people representing the high committee members had of sections, senior specialists, educational specialists and guidance specialists.

Starting date 1st June 2003

Completion date On going

Target group All the primary, intermediate and secondary schools

Objectives 1- Identifying the educationally distinguished government school in the Kingdom of Bahrain in accordance with the rules and criteria for the Ministerial decision No. 202/2003 concerning the awarding of the prize.

2- Sorting the schools by the total percentage awarded to each school.

3- Knowing the extent of achieving the education policy objectives in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

4- Identifying the weakness and strength in schools in order to improve their performance quality.

5- Encouraging the school towards self-development and developing its performance methods that concern with its main tasks such as planning, organizing, implementing,

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monitoring, following up and evaluating in accordance with approved distinguished schools criteria.

6- Encouraging the schools to upgrade the student achievement standards and enhancing the quality of educational outputs.

7- Employing the results of the evaluation process in improving and developing the school work and quality of education.

8- Disseminating the enthusiasm and competition spirit among the schools to achieve a high productive efficiency.

9- Providing an accurate database for the Ministry of Education to support the decision maker.

Description Upon the approval of His Highness the Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa’s to establish a prize under his name awarded annually to the best government school in the Kingdom for Distinguished Educational Performance, the Ministerial decision No. 202/003 was issued, which defined the following: I: The Prize, which is 1- 10,000 Bahrain Dinar awarded by His

Highness the Prime Minister to the winning school to be added to its budget.

2- A golden medal awarded to the winning school administration with His Highness name on it.

3- An appreciation certificate for the distinguished school signed by His Highness.

II: The prize conditions are as follow: 1- The school should not be a previous winner

unless it passed three years at least since she won the prize.

2- The school should not have any financial or administrative contraventions during the school year.

Evaluation questionnaires were used for school performance evaluation used by the evaluators during their school visits. The questionnaires

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contain four evaluation areas, namely, school environment, school leadership, teaching-learning processes and school activities. Each area included several elements and indicators in accordance with specific weights. A guidebook has been put for the evaluators as well as form to list the basic data on the school.

Plans for going to scale The project in nature is implemented on all the government schools.

Publicizing - Issuing Ministerial decisions on the project. - Issuing circulations to all the government

schools. - Reporting and interviewing with H.E. the

Minister and the officials through the press, broadcast and television.

- Issuing documents and publications on the project.

Evaluation The project is evaluated by the committees and working teams members with the assistance of the Educational Research and Development Center and with the cooperation of the specialists at the Ministry in addition to the surveying the opinion of the professors at the University of Bahrain and Arabian gulf University.

Keywords Quality of education; school evaluation; school performance

Decisions issued - Ministerial decision no. 202/2003 dated 1 June 2003, concerning the establishment of a prize under the name of H.H Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa for Distinguished Educational Performance.

- Ministerial decision no. 208/2003 dated 15 June 2003, concerning the formation of a committee to evaluate the schools that will be awarded H.H Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa’s prize for educational achievement: School year 2002/2003

- Ministerial decision no. 58/2004 dated 14 February 2004, concerning the reformation of a

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committee to evaluate the schools that will be awarded H.H Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa’s prize for educational achievement: School year 2003/2004

Bibliography - School performance evaluation form. - School basic data list form. - Guidebook to apply the evaluation form. - Working methodology for the Evaluation

committee.

Source Evaluation Committee for the Prize, Ministry of Education

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APPENDIX 2

THE STUDY PLANS

1.4 The Study Plan for Basic Education 1.5 The Study Requirements for Secondary Education (Credit Hours System) 1.6 The Study Plan for Religious Education

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Appendix 2.1

The Study Plan for Basic Education

Subjects

1st

grade

2nd grade

3rd grade

4th grade

5th grade

6th grade

7th grade

8th grade

9th grade

Islamic Education 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2

Arabic Language 9 9 8 7 7 7 6 6 6

English Language - - 2 5 5 5 5 5 5

Mathematics 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Science and Technology 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4

Social Studies 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 Family Life Education - - - 1 1 1 - - -

Art Education 2 2 2 2 2 2 - - - Practical Studies * - - - - - - 3 3 3

Physical Education 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Songs and Music 1 1 1 1 1 1 - - -

Total 25 25 27 30 30 30 30 30 30 * Include Home Economics, Art Education and Practical Studies - The numbers are referring to the weekly periods. - Duration of study period is 50 minutes. - The study plan for the third cycle (intermediate level) includes three additional periods,

to become 33 instead of 30 periods in certain days of the week. They are catered to improve student academic achievement and enhance the teaching-learning process. These periods are distributed on three days weekly.

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Appendix 2.2 The Study Required for Secondary Education

(Credit Hours System)

2.5.3 Credit Hours Required to Complete Secondary Education in Each Track

2.2.1.1 Science and Literary Tracks

Courses

% Credit Hours No. of Periods

Core Courses 45% 70 1050 Specialized Courses 39% 62 930 Elective Specialized courses 8% 12 180 Free Elective Courses 8% 12 180

Total 100% 156 2340

2.2.1.2 Commercial Track

Courses



Total 100% 156 2340

2.2.1.3 Applied Studies Track

Courses



Total 100% 156 2340

2.2.1.4 Industrial Track: Technical and Applied

Technical Route Applied Route Courses Credit

Hours % Credit Hours %

General Knowledge Courses 50 24% 50 24% Specialized Courses 120 57% 136 65% Supported Courses 40 19% 24 11%

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Total 210 100% 210 100% 2.5.4 Credit Hours for Core Courses

2.2.2.1 All Tracks except Technical and Commercial Tracks

Field

Credit Hours

No. of Periods

Arabic Language 18 270 English Language 18 270 Islamic Education 8 120 Science 6 90 Mathematics 6 90 Social Studies 6 90 Physical Education 6 90 Family Life Education 2 30

Total 70 1050 2.2.2.2 Commercial Track

Field

Credit Hours

No. of Periods

Arabic Language 18 270 English Language 18 270 Islamic Education 8 120 Science 4 60 Mathematics 6 90 Social Studies 4 60 Physical Education 6 90 Family Life Education 2 30

Total 66 990 2.2.2.3 Technical Track: Technical and Applied

Field

Credit Hours

No. of Periods

Arabic Language 8 120 English Language 18 270 Islamic Education 4 60 Social Studies 6 90 Physical Education 4 60 Computer 8 120

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Industrial relations 2 30 Total 50 750

2.2.3 Credit Hours for Compulsory and Elective Specialized Courses 2.2.3.1 Scientific Track 2.2.3.1.1 Compulsory Specialized Courses

Field

Credit Hours

No. of Periods

Mathematics 18 270 Physics 18 270 Chemistry 12 180 Biology 12 180 Geology 2 30

Total 62 930 2.2.3.1.2 Elective Specialized Courses The student is required to choose 12 credit hours from the following courses:

No. of Courses Credit Hours Three Courses in Mathematics 10 Three Courses in Physics 10 Three Courses n Chemistry 8 Three Courses in Biology 10 Three Courses in Geology 6

2.2.3.2 Literary Track 2.2.3.2.1 Compulsory Specialized Courses

Field

Credit Hours

No. of Periods

Arabic Language 8 120 English Language 18 270 Islamic Education 4 60 History 10 150 Geography 10 150 Economics 4 60 Sociology 2 30 Philosophy 2 30 Psychology 4 60

Total 62 390 2.2.3.2.2 Elective Specialized Course The student is required to choose 12 credit hours from following courses:

Number of Courses Credit Hours Three Courses in Arabic Language 10 Three Courses in English Language 10 Three Courses n French Language 10

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Four Courses in Islamic Law 8 Two Courses in Social Studies 4 Two Courses in Philosophy and Logic 4

2.2.3.3 Commercial Track 2.2.3.3.1 Compulsory Specialized Courses

Field

Credit Hours

No. of Periods

Accounting (Arabic & English) 14 210 Banking 4 60 Financial Math 8 120 Basic of commerce 4 60 Economics 4 60 Insurance 4 60 Office Practice (Arabic & English) 12 180 Information Technology 8 120 Computers Applications 10 150 Art of Sale 4 60 Trade and Labour 2 30 Travel and Tourism 4 60

Total 78 1170 2.2.3.3.2 Elective Specialized Courses The student is required to choose 6 credit hours from following courses:

Number of Courses Credit Hours One Course in Accounting 2 One Course in Banking 2 One Course in Law 2 One Course in Marketing 2 One Course in Economics 2 One Course in Secretary 2 One Course in Office Practice 2

2.2.3.4 Applied Studies Track: Textile and Clothing Section 2.2.3.4.1 Compulsory Specialized Courses

Field

Credit Hours

No. of Periods

Textile technology 16 240 Measurement and Costs 6 90 Technical Drawing 10 150 Practical training 38 570

Total 70 1050 2.2.3.4.2 Elective Specialized Courses

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The student is required to choose 8 credit hours from the following courses: Courses Credit Hours

Two Courses in Designing 6 Two Courses in Handicraft 6 2.2.3.5 Industrial Track 2.2.3.5.1 Compulsory Specialized Courses

Technical Applied Filed Credit Hours Periods Credit Hours Periods

Industrial Principles 22 330 18 270 Technical Drawing 14 210 14 210 Practical Studies 84 1260 104 1560

Total 120 1800 136 2040 2.2.3.5.2 Supported Courses for the Specializations

Technical Applied Filed Credit Hours Periods Credit Hours Periods

Science 16 240 8 120 Mathematics 18 270 12 180 Mechanics 6 90 4 60

Total 40 600 24 360 2.2.4 Free Elective Courses The student is required to choose a minimum of 12 credit hours for Science and Literary Tracks; 6 credit hours for Commercial track, and 8 credit hours for Textile and Advertisement tracks. The elective courses are offered according to the school conditions and abilities.

Courses Credit Hours Courses in Science and Technology 28 Courses in Fine Arts 16 Courses in Physical Education 8 General courses 10

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The student can choose specialized or elective specialized courses of other tracks on condition to pass the prerequisites, and according to the availability of this course in the school.

Appendix 2.3

The Study Plan for Religious Education 2.3.1 Religious Primary Education 2.3.1.1 First Three Grades / Class Teacher System

Subjects 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade Religious Subjects: Holy Quran Islamic Theology (Al Fiqh) Prophetic Biography (Al Seera)

6 6 6

General Subjects: Arabic Language Mathematics Social Studies Art and Practical Education Physical Education

24 24 24

Total 30 30 30 2.3.1.2 Upper Three Grades

Subjects 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade Holy Quran 3 3 3 Islamic Traditions (Al Hadith) 1 1 1 Islamic Theology (Al Tawhid) 1 1 1 Islamic Jurisprudence (Al Fiqh) 2 2 2 Prophetic Biography (Al Seera) 1 1 1 Religious Subjects (Total) 8 8 8 Arabic Language 8 8 8 English language 5 5 5 Mathematics 5 5 5 Science 3 3 3 Social Studies 2 2 2 Art and Practical Education 2 2 2

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Physical Education 2 2 2 General Subjects (Total) 27 27 27 Grand Total 35 35 35

2.3.2 Religious Intermediate Education

Subjects 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade Holy Quran 2 2 2 Quranic Exegesis (Al Tafsir) 1 1 1 Quranic Intonation (Al Tajweed) 1 1 1 Islamic Traditions (Al Hadith) 1 1 1 Islamic Theology (Al Tawhid) 1 1 1 Islamic Jurisprudence (Al Fiqh) 2 2 2 Prophetic Biography (Al Seera) 1 1 1 Religious Subjects (Total) 9 9 9 Arabic Language 7 7 7 English language 5 5 5 Mathematics 5 5 5 Science 3 3 3 Social Studies 3 3 3 Art and Practical Education 2 2 2 Physical Education 1 1 1 General Subjects (Total) 26 26 26 Grand Total 35 35 35

2.3.3 Religious Secondary Education

Subjects 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade Holy Quran 2 1 1 Quranic Exegesis (Al Tafsir) 2 2 3 Islamic Traditions (Al Hadith) 2 2 2 Islamic Theology (Al Tawhid) 1 1 1 Islamic Jurisprudence (Al Fiqh) 3 3 3 Religious Subjects (Total) 10 9 11 Arabic Language 10 11 10 English language 5 5 5 Mathematics 2 - - Science 2 - - Social Studies 3 3 3 Sociology - 1 - Economics - 1 - Psychology - 1 1

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Philosophy - 1 1 Logic - - 1 Physical Education 1 1 1 Practical Studies 2 2 2 General Subjects (Total) 25 26 24 Grand Total 35 35 35

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