FORMAL EDUCATION IN SAUDI ARABIA FROM 1926 TO 1953:ORIGINS, POLICIES, CHALLENGES, AND ACHIEVEMENTS

The current study aimed to examine the status of formal education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 1926, when an education directorate was established, to 1953, when this directorate was transformed into the Ministry of Education. The researcher employed a historical approach to align with the study's objectives.One of the key findings is that modern education began relatively late in the Arabian Peninsula. A small number of private schools were established in the western part of the country during thelast quarter of the nineteenth century. The study found that the education directorate successfully established schools in various Saudi cities and villages before it transitioned into aministry. Anothersignificant finding is that the education system inSaudi Arabia has consistently emphasized religious education, with religious subjects being extensively taught at all educational levels. Additionally, the system has been characterized by centralization across varioussectors. Theresults further indicate that the initiation of public education faced considerable challenges, including financial difficulties and resistance from some parents who preferred traditional forms of education. Notably, the education system allowed slaves and their children to attend public schools, despite slavery being legal in the country until the early 1960s. At that time, girls' education was not yet widely available, and there were only a limited number of colleges.