I was pleased to read the comments of the Emir of Hail region about the problems with the education system in "Hail Emir: Education does not match spending" (April 8). It is about time officials begin to address the way our schools are run and how and what children are taught. As the Emir said one-quarter of the nation's budget is spent on education and the question is whether or not that large expenditure is resulting in a first-class educational system. Unfortunately it is not only a question of money, there have to be important changes to the system if the nation's children are going to get the kind of education that they deserve. One of the most important changes must be in the way that students and teachers are evaluated. As the Hail Emir pointed out it is worrying that according to the National Center for Evaluation, 94 percent of the Kingdom's general education teachers are rated as "excellent", whereas in Singapore only five percent are placed in that category. It is time that international standards are used to evaluate the nation's students, teachers and schools.
Ibrahim Mohammed, Online response