The Ministry of Education intends to close the curtain on the era of the scientific and literary specializations in the general secondary stage by converting study in all high schools to the course system starting from the year 1439 AH.

According to information obtained by the newspaper, the ministry has issued directives to the competent authority for printing books in the ministry to stop printing books for the general education secondary stage starting from the academic year after next, meaning that this year will be the last for printing general high school books.

Printing of curricula in the secondary stage will be limited to the semester system and the course system, after the first experiment of this system was implemented during the past academic year in 42 male and female high schools.

What is the course system?

A new system for the secondary stage that allows the student to complete this stage in two and a half years, and also allows him to equivalate subjects for which he has taken courses. The system has proven its success.

Advantages of the course system

Studying a maximum of seven subjects per semester

Possibility of completing the secondary stage in two and a half years by studying two additional summer semesters

Passing with 50 out of 100 in any subject

There is no failure in the course system; when a student fails a subject, he retakes it in the next semester or in the summer semester if he wishes.

A student studying in the course system can transfer to the traditional system provided he has no failures in certain subjects.

Subjects can be equivalated. For example: if a student passes the International English Test (TOEFL), he can submit the test certificate to the Admissions and Registration Office at the school, provided that the school tests the student in all English subjects through a number of subject teachers who prepare the test.