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The State of Bahrain is an archipelago consisting of 1 large island and about 35 smaller islands located in the shallow waters of the Arabian-Persian Gulf. Only four of these islands are actually inhabited. In Arabic "Bahrain" means "two seas." Ancient legends associate Bahrain with the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life, and the name "The Pearl of the Gulf,�…
The constitutional foundations of Bahraini education are based upon two principles set forth by the Ministry of Education: Adopted on May 26, 1973, and effective since December 6, 1973, the Constitution of the State of Bahrain guarantees education as a basic right of Bahraini citizens. Article 4 of the Constitution refers to education as one of the "pillars of society guaranteed by the Stat…
Given its early start, Bahrain has been at least a generation ahead of its neighbors in modern educational development, but it has also upheld its traditions. From the beginning, Bahraini education has been noncoeducational, and there appear to be no plans to change this structure. In 1919 the first elementary school in Bahrain was established for boys, while the first girls' elementary sch…
Nursery and preprimary schools, both private and public, provide care and instruction for preschool age children. Primary education in Bahraini government schools throughout the three cycles of basic education centers on compulsory core subjects including religious education (Islamic education), Arabic language, science and technology, social studies, art, physical education, and music. English la…
At the secondary level of education, students diverge along various educational tracks and vocational professional specializations, including science, literary studies,
agriculture, printing, textiles, and advertising, among others. Most technical and vocational programs are limited to men, and textile and advertising are limited to women. Thus while male enrollment is split fairly even…
Bahrain has two universities for higher education: Bahrain University (BU), founded in 1968, and the Arabian Gulf University (AGU), which opened in 1979. In the late 1970s and 1980s higher education in Bahrain saw rapid development. Within the university system, the College of Health Services graduated students for entry into the health profession, and Gulf Polytechnic expanded in the 1980s to mee…
The Ministry of Education in Bahrain administers the government's educational institutions and supervises private educational institutions in the country. The organization consists of the Minister of Education, the Under-secretary, and the Assistant Undersecretaries, who oversee the following directorates: Educational Services and Private Education, General and Technical Education, Financia…
Institutions in Bahrain offering special education include the Saudi-Bahraini Institute for the Welfare of the Blind, the Al-Amal Institute, the Social Rehabilitation Center (including a hearing defect unit and a vocational rehabilitation unit). The Ministry of Education's Directorate of Adult Education oversees illiteracy eradication programs and continuing education programs for adults. T…
Throughout the 1990s the education sector saw the number of Bahraini teachers steadily increase. By academic year 1999-2000 approximately 88 percent of the teachers in government schools were Bahraini. Among female educators, nearly 97 percent were Bahraini nationals, while among male educators, 79 percent were Bahraini. By contrast, in 1990 some 68 percent of teachers in government schools were B…
The statistics and social indicators relevant to the education sector in Bahrain are relatively positive. Although petroleum revenues are important to the development of the physical facilities and technological capabilities of Bahrain's educational infrastructure, the priority of human resources development is even more crucial. Some of the social problems faced by other Arab Gulf states&#…
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