| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
ex500
Joined: 27 Nov 2010
Posts: 44
|
 Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 4:53 am Post subject: All parallel programs of universities suspended |
 |
|
http://www.arabnews.com/news/771491
ARAB NEWS
Published — Saturday 4 July 2015
RIYADH: The Ministry of Education has suspended all parallel education programs, except in medical and engineering specialties, as well as bridging programs for health diploma certificates.
Education Minister Azzam Al-Dhakil gave directions to the rectors at the Saudi universities to suspend the programs starting from the new academic year.
The minister addressed a letter to universities saying: "Following the study conducted by the ministry on the realities of parallel education in the Kingdom, the studies confirmed that universities have unjustifiably expanded such programs which has led to negative impacts on the quality of education."
The minister added in his letter: "Because of the factors explained above and the importance of taking into account the needs of the country and labor market, as well as the ministry's continuing efforts to develop and improve the education system in line with the sustainable development in all sectors of Saudi Arabia, the ministry has decided to suspend all parallel education programs other than the medical and engineering disciplines, as well as the bridging programs for health diplomas starting from the next academic year 1436/1437". A third consultative meeting held at King Khalid University in mid-June discussed the distinguished programs and educational services provided by the Saudi universities to ensure the highest educational quality of universities and the objectives of development plans. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 2:27 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I have the slightest idea what this is talking about... parallel programs?? huh?
VS |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
FrenchConnexion
Joined: 22 Jan 2015
Posts: 48
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 2:46 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| They mean by that the Muwaazi programs, where students who did not get the required grades could still go to uni, provided they pay and do not get the monthly government stipend. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 4:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| I have the slightest idea what this is talking about... parallel programs?? |
Parallel programs include those basic courses taken pre-university as a transition or bridge into the students' degree major studies. It's similar to courses at US community colleges that are subsequently transferred as credits into a 4-year BA program. Anyway, the Saudi Ministry of Education apparently wants the focus to be on those parallel programs related to medical and engineering --- the areas of study that will most benefit the country's highest labor needs. It shouldn't have any affect on university English language programs. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ex500
Joined: 27 Nov 2010
Posts: 44
|
| Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 7:18 am Post subject: |
|
|
"It shouldn't have any affect on university English language programs."
I'm not sure. If parallel programs include a prep year with English students than there will be surplus teachers without pupils.
Also, enrollment at vocational schools and private institutions may go up as those students cannot attend parallel programs. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
|
| Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 11:05 am Post subject: |
|
|
Somehow KSA decided to ape the idea that everyone should get a college or university education. It has been disastrous in the UK and will be equally disastrous in KSA !
"I can't take that job - I am a graduate in Advanced Kiddology !" |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
FrenchConnexion
Joined: 22 Jan 2015
Posts: 48
|
| Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 1:20 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Just to check, where did you get that parallel programs mean Prep Year programs , NomadSoul?
Like everybody, I was clueless as to what they meant by "parallel", but after Googling it, I ended up on that:
"Parallel Education
Parallel education is a new academic style
which creates an opportunity for a student
to join a desired college to which he has
not been admitted, in return for tuition fees
that he has to pay and that differ in amount
from one field of specialization to another.
The implementation of this new educational
system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
began in 2002. Bachelor, master, and
doctorate programs are offered within this
system."
http://he.moe.gov.sa/en/Ministry/General-administration-for-Public-relations/BooksList/stat7eng.pdf
Now I taught Muwaazi students (those SS who pay) for a term as an extra job about 3 yrs ago, in our Prep year program. They definitely had a very very poor level of English.
I sincerely hope it is not actually Prep Years. That would be a disaster for all of us expat teachers! Now, seeing all those ads for positions in Prep Year programs here on the job board or, Reed.co.uk, I doubt it. But one of my colleagues has been telling me for about 2 yrs now that Prep Years would be closing... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
|
| Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 2:11 pm Post subject: |
|
|
So it sounds like this means that the students whose grades are so low and skills are so low that they can't get into a program can pay tuition... and then get to attend and are eventually gifted with a degree if they keep paying the tuition??? Sounds like even more of a diploma mill than their regular university system.
None of this makes any sense at all...
VS |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
|
| Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 5:13 pm Post subject: |
|
|
The info below should help clarify it for all of us (myself included). But apparently they're diploma and degree programs (not always foundation year) that are mostly held as evening classes. The majority of the students are likely to be employed.
| Quote: |
King Saud University's Parallel Education Program offers students the opportunity to study for a master’s degree with classes in the evening, rather than the day. Over thirty courses of study are available under the program, including language and literature, social service, sociology, national history, digital media, journalism and publishing, a range of teaching methodology courses, counseling psychology, art education, health and hospital management, ecology, computer and information systems, and many others.
Source: http://news.ksu.edu.sa/en/node/103208 |
| Quote: |
Parallel Academic Programs (evening courses are indicated)
King Abdulaziz University has many diploma programs provided by the Deanship of Community Services & Continuing Education (such as Cisco, Medical Secretary, Sports Management).
Source: http://admission.kau.edu.sa/Pages-Admission1.aspx
And....
Parallel Education Program
Unlike the free programs offered by KAU, the Parallel Education Program is a program that enables students to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in specific fields by paying tuition fees, provided they meet all requirements for admission. Tuition fees are SR 25,000 each year for the first three years and SR 30,000 each year for the last three years. Students study the same curriculum as regular registered students, but their schedule of classes is different since most courses are offered in the evenings (afternoon for women).
Source: http://www.kau.edu.sa |
| Quote: |
Tabuk University Parallel BA Program:
This program requires no fees. This program is run in the evening time which finishes at 08:00 pm or according to the availability of colleges. Students enrolled in this program are not given a monthly incentive payment. Students are granted a BA degree in their specializations.
Source: http://www.ut.edu.sa/docs/en/ |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
hash
Joined: 17 Dec 2014
Posts: 456
Location: Wadi Jinn
|
| Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 9:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I assume all these "programs" are taught in Arabic, not English. - which is why they're mostly unknown to western ESL teachers. One also wonders at the validity of these diplomas/degrees outside KSA (or even inside KSA). Would you really let someone trained in Al Hasa clean your teeth, let alone perform an extraction? (How 'bout an IMPLANT!!)
This type of thing further solidifies the notion that the "magic" Kingdom is well-named - most of what you see is not what you get.....programs like the ones discussed on this thread are a combination of quackery and fantasy. Like a final chapter to the Thousand and One Nights (aka: The Arabian Nights).
Things must have been totally out of control for the Ministry itself to want to cancel them. (Betcha the cancellation it's overruled).
The ministry’s syntactically challenged statement: "Following the study conducted by the ministry on the realities of parallel education in the Kingdom, the studies confirmed that universities have unjustifiably expanded such programs which has led to negative impacts on the quality of education." is unusually strong. One could use the same argument against continuing (or expanding) university foundation courses (where almost anybody is let in anymore).
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2015 5:32 am Post subject: |
|
|
| hash wrote: |
| I assume all these "programs" are taught in Arabic, not English. - which is why they're mostly unknown to western ESL teachers. |
There have always been late afternoon and evening foundation English classes at the universities. None of those teachers would be directly involved with the parallel programs, which entail content courses. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
hash
Joined: 17 Dec 2014
Posts: 456
Location: Wadi Jinn
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2015 2:15 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| nomad soul wrote: |
| There have always been late afternoon and evening foundation English classes at the universities. None of those teachers would be directly involved with the parallel programs, which entail content courses. |
Well yes, there have always been (on and off) "general" evening English programs for the general public offered by (some) universities. This is where a lot of contracted TESL teachers can make extra money during the year.
But these are not "foundation" courses in the sense that they are an official part of a university foundation program. These are totally separate from the university, are profit-making, no "credits" are earned nor can the courses (if passed) be integrated into the university's official English program. Teachers are not brought in from overseas but are hired locally. A "certificate" might be earned upon completion of a course, but it is not an "academic" document and has no official validity for anything. It's more like an "attendance" document and that's all. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2015 2:26 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| hash wrote: |
| Well yes, there have always been (on and off) "general" evening English programs for the general public offered by (some) universities. This is where a lot of contracted TESL teachers can make extra money during the year. |
Not where I taught. The evening students followed the same curriculum and sat for exams alongside our students. But that apparently wasn't the situation at your university. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
hash
Joined: 17 Dec 2014
Posts: 456
Location: Wadi Jinn
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2015 5:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| nomad soul wrote: |
Not where I taught. The evening students followed the same curriculum and sat for exams alongside our students. But that apparently wasn't the situation at your university. |
Well, thanks to your comments and mine, readers now know that there are different kinds of programs taught at some universities....and that what one poster describes for a particular experience can be just the opposite of what takes place somewhere else for someone else.
Therefore, readers should be cautious against accepting any viewpoint or description as valid across the board.
There are, of course, other types of courses.....such as those found in summer school programs which (at my school), were fully part of the uni's official program and courses taken during the summer counted towards a degree. (Of course, I'm not saying EVERY summer course at EVERY university was part of a similar program....just that mine was)
(There...I think I've covered all bases and prepared for all contingencies). |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
FrenchConnexion
Joined: 22 Jan 2015
Posts: 48
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 7:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
In my university, for the Muwaazi students, it was the same as Nomad Soul describes: they seat at all the regular exams and I taught them the exact same curriculum I did with my regular prep year SS. I also taught them during day time, not during the evening. Basically, the only difference between them and regular SS is that they had to pay.
As for saying this program is like a diploma mill (someone said that above), where do you get that from?
If the government pays its students to study, it understandable places are limited. If a student cannot make it in the top students who will get the stipend/scholarship, why shouldn't they have the opportunity to still study, by paying?
Doesn't that happen everywhere else in the world, particularly in the West, where people pay for their education, whether brilliant or average SS? We don't call that a diploma mill. Some Muwaazi SS still fail when taking the exam. Paying does not guarantee them to get a diploma. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
