Monday, April 30, 2012

Typical School in Jeddah


It's taken me a while to be able to spot schools here in Jeddah. Most look nothing at all like the schools I am used to seeing in the states. Many of the schools in KSA seem to be old residential villas that have been converted into schools. I have read many complaints about the school system here in Saudi Arabia, especially when it comes to girls' education. There are many who would like to see more a focus on academics instead of religious education.

3 comments:

Jerry Mc Kenna said...

Do you know if Saudi schools such as the one pictured are retrofitted with things like fire hydrants, fire alarms and fire extinguishers? In the schools of my youth in NJ, all the schools had mulitple fire extinguishers and other associated paraphenalia.

Do you know if Saudi schools have fire drills?

Anonymous said...

The school shown above is a public school but in international schools the ministry constantly makes visits to ensure proper safety for staff and students. In the school where I work, we trained our students with the fire emergency evacuation plan (fire drill). Also we have proper fire extinguishers in hallways, outside the classes, etc.
I assure you that education ministry keeps a close eye on the safety aspect in schools. The international schools (private) are bound to meet the standards given by the ministry.
Regards,
Maryam

Susie of Arabia said...

Thank you, Maryam - I don't have any knowledge personally other than what I've been told by my nieces and nephews here.