Saudi Gazette The degree of advancement and development of a country can be measured by its rank on the list of countries that have achieved the status of becoming a ‘Knowledge Society'. What is a knowledge society? How does Saudi Arabia rank on the list of countries that are knowledge societies? A knowledge society creates, shares, and uses knowledge for the prosperity and well-being of its people. Knowledge and education become a driving force behind the economy. In a ‘Knowledge Society', research, studies, inventions, technological developments, and literacy flourishes; the ‘Knowledge Society's' population has an extremely low illiteracy rate. The Director General of General Administration for Quality Management of the Ministry Of Education, Dr. Ghanem Al-Ghanem revealed that Saudi Arabia ranks 52 amongst 178 countries, which have met the criteria of being part of such a prestigious society. The study also portrayed that Saudi Arabia globally ranks 17 in terms of competitiveness to work, and desires to exceed and excel so as to move ahead in its ranking in the ‘Knowledge Society'. Dr. Ghanem Al-Ghanem also said that the Kingdom's complete transformation into a ‘Knowledge Society' will be achieved within 15 years. Some positive initiatives by the Ministry of Education to improve the education system in Saudi Arabia were announced at a recent conference held at Al-Rowad Private School in Riyadh. Principals, teachers, representatives and students from different schools participated in the conference. The King Abdul Aziz Quality Award in general education was also introduced; the award is intended for those who will maximize the quality, efficiency, and productivity of the education system in Saudi Arabia. “It is the teachers who will move the Kingdom's schools in the correct direction towards high quality and excellence. They will help change members of the society from recipients of information to producers of information,” said Dr. Ghanem Al-Ghanem. The Ministry of Education has already implemented several steps in improving the general education in the Kingdom. An up-to-date syllabus and more interesting textbooks for several subjects, especially math and science have already been introduced. The focus on current education is gradually shifting from quantitative education to qualitative knowledge, and strong emphasis is being laid on its implementation. School administrators are urging teachers to adopt a more interactive approach to teaching, rather than merely passing textbook information. These changes have been inspired by King Abdullah's vision, which indicates that by 2020, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will become a model society in terms of quality, efficiency, and productivity in all sectors. __
