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The aim of this study was to investigate the status of equal opportunity in education and employment in Saudi Arabia. Analyses of existing data show that the country has made a remarkable progress in educational enrollment at all levels (K-12 and higher education). However, challenges remain in terms of academic achievement for males, participation in the labor force and wage parity for females, and school access and retention for disadvantaged young people (ages 6-24 years old). To address these challenges and help achieve the sustainable development goals that the country envisioned in its "Vision 2030", it is imperative that all people, regardless of gender or social, and economic status, be treated fairly and given an equal opportunity to learn, work, prosper, and contribute to the development of Saudi Arabia and beyond.

Educational leaders must consider equity in education as a priority to make sure all students receive the best education possible. Studies on this topic in Saudi Arabia, however, are still in the embryonic stage. This article, thus, examines whether significant differences in academic achievement exist between male and female students based on gender, subject value, and expectations of education attainment. From a sample study of 3,759 students, the findings showed that female outperformed male students in both math, science, and their domains. Further, the more students value a subject or expect to go far in their education, the higher the score for both students, but female still outperformed male students. Educational leaders should consider these findings a wake-up call to the persistent academic achievement disparities.

The Trend in International Mathematics and Science Study reveals how the math and science achievement of students in participating countries compares with that of their international peers. Since 1995, the results have been surprising and disappointing for some countries. Astonished and disappointed by such outcomes, scholars and educational leaders are turning to top-achieving countries for approaches to close the achievement gap. To reverse the achievement gap, it is imperative to consider whether approaches used in top-achieving countries deserve primacy over approaches used within-country. Using TIMSS data, findings from this study show that every country in the sample has schools from which reformers could draw approaches to close the achievement gap. Additionally, this study revealed existence of schools serving disadvantaged students achieving at the top and schools serving advantaged students achieving at the bottom. Based on these findings, we highlight the importance of considering approaches used within-country by proposing a framework for education reformers as to where and how to initiate reform to close the achievement gap.

The study aimed at investigating the experiences of graduate students who experience, for the first-time, cost-sharing policies in Saudi public universities. The study used the explanatory sequential mixed methods approach, involving a two-phase data collection. First, quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire administered to graduate students of education from 24 out of the 29 public universities, where 384 participants responded. Then, qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with 28 participants who voluntarily signed up for a follow-up interview. The main findings show that 66.4% of participants support the introduction of cost-sharing in public universities. However, there are no student financial aid mechanisms to guarantee equal opportunity for all candidates. Even though 90.4% of participants pay their due shares on time, students who faced financial hardships were not allowed to register for classes until they paid. Further, except for the contract signed during the admission process, there was no informative and accessible cost-sharing policy document to help potential candidates make the right decision before joining a program. Moreover, the cost-sharing programs are not flexible for working students. Participants' perceptions on cost-sharing and financial aid mechanisms do not differ based on gender and education level but do strongly significantly differ based on cost-sharing policy support. Based on these findings, the researchers suggest five recommendations for policy and practice for the cost-sharing policy to be effective and equitable for all potential candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most nations in Africa south of the Sahara made a significant effort to promote education mainly in the years that followed their independence from colonial powers; however, the policies devised for promoting education after independence minimized or excluded the private sector. It is only recently that most African governments started to realize the limitations of public monopoly in education and since then, private schools are re-emerging in all major cities in Africa south of the Sahara. This paper therefore, after providing a brief overview of the development of private education in the Africa south of the Sahara, addresses the comparative analysis of the merits of private and public education and some policy issues that are emerging out of the current trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]