Saudi Arabia’s Education System Criticized for Failing to Create a Positive School Environment

Saudi Arabia’s Education System Criticized for Failing to Create a Positive School Environment
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The Saudi daily Al-Madina has published a critical commentary highlighting the failure of the Kingdom’s education system to build an engaging and safe environment for students.

The article, written by columnist Hamzat Wasl, revisits his own school experiences in Farasan Island, Jazan Province, describing an atmosphere marked by fear, coercion, and punishment that made schooling a bitter memory from childhood.

While acknowledging a recent Ministry of Education policy — preventing students with more than 10% absenteeism from advancing to the next grade — the writer questioned why schools remain unattractive and anxiety-inducing places.

He recalled parental and administrative pressure, quoting his father’s words to a school principal: “The flesh is yours, and the bone is mine,” as a symbol of past harshness. Despite social progress, he argued, the core issue persists: the ministry has yet to transform schools into friendly, motivational spaces for children.

Education experts commenting on the piece stressed that reforms must go beyond attendance rules to focus on teaching quality, motivation, and respect for children’s rights. They warned that a continued culture of fear and compulsion risks undermining learning motivation and harming students’ mental health — an especially pressing concern after the disruptions of the pandemic.

The Al-Madina article signals that internal critiques and expert warnings could push the government toward deeper reforms, ensuring that schools evolve into safe, inspiring, and creative environments for future generations.