[gallery size="medium" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" td_gallery_title_input="From obscurity to excellence" ids="113998,113999,114000,114001"] A COMMITTEE from the United Nations Education Commission recently paid a visit to observe a project for rectification of the status of community schools in Makkah. The committee praised the project and deemed it a model for rectifying the status of community schools anywhere. The committee referred the education dossier to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as the best education and development model for community schools in the Middle East, Director of Education in Makkah Province Muhammad Mahdi Al-Harthi said. Despite the UN's praise, the administration has its work cut out as it faces difficulties and obstacles in implementing the project. "Community schools that have been in a haphazard state and were considered illegal for over 60 years have recorded their male and female student enrollment at over 70,000 and need considerable efforts to bring them back on the right track," Al-Harthi said. Project idea The idea of rectifying the status of community schools in Makkah emanated from the state's belief in goal-oriented education and its role in developing the general conduct and intellectual growth of students. Education is the right of every child living in the Kingdom. Children should be able to obtain education in a healthy educational environment and with sound curricula. Makkah Education Administration started the project for rectification of the status of community schools after noticing the birth of Qur'an elementary schools known as the "katateeb" in a haphazard manner in various districts of the holy city. These schools were founded by volunteers in local communities. There were vast differences in curricula, vision and teaching methods adopted by these schools. Apart from this, many children from the community were not enrolled in the schools and spent their time on the streets. The buildings the schools were housed in did not conform to the most basic construction requirements. Teaching materials were also found to be grossly inadequate. "After monitoring these schools and carrying out field inspections, we noticed that there was randomness in running them. There was no plan or curriculum for the education process in the schools. The teachers lacked efficiency and qualifications to educate children. There were wide discrepancies in the languages, dialects and vernaculars being used. Furthermore, there was coeducation. There was a disparity between male and female students who were legal residents in the Kingdom and those who were not. Furthermore, several students did not have any identification papers," he explained. Negative aspects According to Al-Harthi, there was a dire need to reorganize these schools and rid them of their negative aspects. Various education committees were formed and they paid frequent visits to the community schools and the katateeb. The majority of the committees recommended that the Education Administration take over supervision of the schools to ensure a unified education plan, in line with the Ministry of Education's curriculum. The administration would also make sure that there was no coeducation, lack of planning, haphazard regulations and education malpractices. "In implementation of the directives of then Minister of Education Prince Khaled Al-Faisal on rectifying the status of community schools in Makkah, a meeting was held in the presence of the undersecretaries of the ministry and the director general of education in Makkah Province. That meeting resulted in a new mechanism for rectifying the status of community schools. Then the recommendations and mechanisms were referred to Prince Khaled. An approval was issued to implement the mechanisms, which were signed by the deputy ministers and undersecretaries of the Ministry of Education," Al-Harthi said. Based on the approval, the General Administration for Education in Makkah Province started drawing up plans, implementing the mechanisms and carrying out the measures for rectification. This was achieved by gradually absorbing male and female students from the impoverished Burmese community into government schools. State project Al-Harthi confirmed that the rectification of the status of community schools was a project carried out by the state that spares no effort and spends generously from its resources for the benefit of Muslims in general. At the beginning of the year, the General Administration for Education in Makkah Province announced the completion of rectification of the status of 70,000 male and female students in all stages of education in the community schools. It also announced the success of the last stage of the project to establish 121 schools. Of these, 109 were primary schools for boys and girls and 12 were intermediate schools for boys and girls to serve 41,312 students. The education environment was improved. Accessibility to the schools was facilitated for students and teachers. These schools were given numbers by the ministry. Qualified teachers were assigned to them during the last transfer operation carried out by the General Administration for Education. A total of 48 schools – 24 for boys and 24 for girls – serving 13,397 students were relocated.
