Will ESL teacher demand get a boost from Saudiization?
We have been asked about the Royal decrees that have recently been issued in Saudi Arabia and whether it will impact on International ESL teacher demand.
The decrees have instructed education officials to find short and long term solutions for the increasing number of graduates with teaching degrees and diplomas and to use these in preference to teachers from outside the kingdom.
According to information from Okaz/Saudi Gazette, over 22,004 teachers have applied for teaching jobs at the Ministry of Civil Service, of which 16,729 are female teachers. There are 17,936 jobs occupied by non-Saudi teachers, 3,515 by women.
The Royal Decrees also ordered the ministries of Education and Higher Education to improve the academic level of students and inspect the plans of educational institutions to ensure they are appropriate for students.
Officials have also been asked to set up a commission to assess public and private education, choose competent teachers, give school principals more incentives, implement programs to enhance the partnership with the private sector and train male and female teachers.
JEDDAH: The Ministry of Labor plans to launch a new Saudization program in a few weeks with the aim of ending the unemployment problem in the Kingdom for good. The program will impose strict controls on the import of