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The quality of education in GCC countries has steadily improved over the last 10 years, albeit at a slower pace compared to other OECD countries, according to the World Bank’s Gulf Economic Update (pdf). Primary and secondary education in reading, math and sciences saw significant strides in most GCC countries, led by gains in Qatar and Bahrain. However, learning outcomes continue to fall short of global standards, especially considering the region’s level of income.
THE HOMETOWN ANGLE: Progress in the Kingdom’s math and science achievement at the fourth-grade level faced a setback in 2015, before bouncing back in 2019, the report showed, without providing further detail. Additionally, the rate at which Saudi eighth-graders progressed in both subjects as well as their expected learning outcomes relative to years of schooling are below average compared to other countries in the GCC. Students aged 15 saw a modest dip in reading scores by the equivalent of 0.8 years between 2018 and 2022.
Why it matters: “Human capital is a key element to increasing economic growth in the long run, but all its potential contribution to GCC economies will not be fully released until quality of education is improved,” the report read. The report argues that education drives economic growth when it effectively translates into human capital which then contributes to the overall GDP.
The contribution of human capital to GDP growth in the Arab world lags behind that of advanced economies, where a 1% uptick in human capital typically translates to a 0.9% boost in GDP. In the GCC, a 1% increase in human capital results in an 0.5% bump in GDP due to education not effectively translating into human capital.
Students in the GCC realize only 62% of their full potential productivity due to low quality of education, the report read, with reference to the World Bank’s Human Capital Index (HCI). GCC countries check two of the three HCI dimensions, namely child survival and adult survival, while falling short on education. While they are expected to attain 12.7 years’ worth of learning over their schooling period, GCC students’ expected learning time comes out to 8.6 years.
Students in the region also underperform when it comes to international learning assessments. The report states that one-fifth of fourth graders in the GCC fail to reach the minimum reading proficiency standard, while countries such as Singapore and Ireland see over 67% of fourth graders achieving high proficiency benchmarks.
ZEROING IN- There’s a big gender gap in learning outcomes: Girls tend to significantly outperform their male counterparts in the region, with four GCC countries ranking among the top seven countries with the largest gender disparities, including Saudi, Oman, Bahrain, and the UAE.
Okay, so what’s the holdup? Limited school readiness, outdated instructional and pedagogical practices — such as an emphasis on rote memorization, a lack of focus on problem-solving, collaborative teamwork and digital skills — as well as disparities in preschool enrollment rates, which remain relatively low, were all cited as reasons for the lag.
Moving forward: The World Bank suggests investing in early childhood education, focusing on quality programs, supporting and adequately training teachers, as well as leveraging the power of learning assessments to speed up the improvement of education in the GCC, until it is at par with other economies within its income-level. The report expects this will take several decades.
