Structure and Organization of the Education System

The national education system consists of seven types of education: (a) general education focuses on the expansion of general knowledge and improvement of students’ skills; specialization is needed in the last grade; (b) vocational education prepares students for mastering a number of specific vocational skills needed for employment; (c) special education provides important skills and abilities for students with physical and/or mental disabilities; (d) service-related education aims at increasing abilities required for job preparation as an official or a candidate for a government department or a non-departmental government agency; (e) religious education prepares students to play a role which demands the mastery of religious knowledge and related subjects; (f) academic education focuses primarily on improving the mastery of sciences; and (g) professional education prepares students primarily for specialized or job-related knowledge and skills. The out-of-school system consists of five different types of education, since it does not have academic and professional education.

Pre-school education

Pre-school education is provided for children from 4 to 6 years of age and lasts one or two years. Pre-school education is not compulsory.

Primary education

The six-year primary education programme is compulsory for pupils from 7 to 12 years of age. There is also an Islamic primary education programme.

Secondary education

The junior secondary school level consists of a compulsory three-year education programme for students from 12 to 15 years of age. Primary and junior secondary education form the nine-year basic education programme. Secondary education lasts three years and includes general secondary school, Islamic senior secondary school, vocational secondary school, religious secondary school, and service secondary school.

Higher education is an extension of secondary education, which consists of academic and professional education. Two types of courses are offered: non-degree (diploma) and degree (graduate, master’s and doctoral programmes generally lasting four, two and three years, respectively). Academic education is mainly aimed at mastering science, technology and research, whereas professional education emphasizes developing practical skills. Academies, polytechnics, institutes and universities are the various institutions involved in higher education.

At the primary and secondary levels the school year consists of thirty-eight working weeks on average.