Saudi Arabia Taps IU For Education Change

The paid parental leave policy will begin July 1.

Saudi Arabia is working with Indiana University’s School of Education to overhaul its public education system. The school says the Middle Eastern nation will partner with its Center for Evaluation and Education Policy to move toward more of a knowledge-based economy.

The IU experts are part of an international team helping with the effort from countries including Finland, Ukraine, Poland, Australia, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United States. CEEP’s work will focus on conducting evaluation procedures and training Saudi staff to develop and manage future evaluation activities.

Saudi Arabia has 45 school districts. CEEP has already helped the country conduct interviews and school observations in each district. That project was completed in February. The center says it will continue to work with Saudi Arabia’s Public Education Evaluation Commission to develop "culturally appropriate" evaluation standards.

Public Education Evaluation Commission Vice Governor Saleh al-Shumrani says the country is looking to develop "an evaluation culture," allowing principals, teachers and educational supervisors to assess themselves objectively and professionally.