Educational Reform in the Middle East

Early Educational Development

Following the rise of Islam in the 7th century, the Qur'an became the main source of knowledge and education in the Middle East region. Since then, education has been highly valued and prioritized in these countries, and the region has enjoyed a long and rich intellectual tradition. The first word in the Qur'an is “read” (iqra’), and knowledge (‘ilm) occupies a significant position within Islam.

Education in the Muslim world began as an informal system. The primary objective of early Middle Eastern education was to teach Qur'anic studies. The kuttab was the main organization that undertook the responsibility of religious education. The kuttab was any place where an adult teacher (Muallem or Modarris) could lead students (talameeth) in lessons. The kuttab could be located in a mosque, a private home, a shop, a tent, under a tree, or even out in the open. The curriculum of the kuttab was primarily directed toward young male children, beginning as early as age 4, and was centered on Qur'anic studies and on religious obligations such as prayer and moral education.

These small informal schools became larger during the period between the 10th and 13th centuries, which is considered to be the Islamic golden age (Khelafeh), when mathematics, medicine, chemistry, astronomy, art, and literature flourished. At the same time, Europe was experiencing a period of intellectual depression in part due to restrictions imposed on certain forms of knowledge by the Catholic Church. Scholars from Europe found in the Islamic world a place to continue their education and preserve their knowledge.

Between the 12th and 19th centuries, the traditional informal education system declined in the Middle East region, and formal European school systems, which were brought to the region, in part, by colonizers, began to emerge. In the mid-20th [Page 761]century, most of the MENA countries gained independence. Since then, these countries have struggled to provide quality education.

Recent Educational Reform

The MENA countries were among the first nations to adopt the United Nations' Declaration on Education for All in 1990. By accepting the declaration, countries agreed to a collective commitment to ensure that, by 2015, all children, particularly girls and ethnic minorities, would have access to quality, free, and compulsory education.

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