Systems of Education in Saudi Arabia and South Korea
After interviewing my international friends about educational systems, I found that there are several similarities and differences in regard to time spent in school between South Korea and Saudi Arabia. The first point of comparison is related to the time period students attend school. In both countries, students are required to attend school for 12 years. Specifically, these years are divided into 6 years in the elementary school, 3 years in the middle school and 3 years in high school. However, in Saudi Arabia, it’s necessary to attend school for 12 years, but it’s not essential to attend high school in South Korea. Still, like Saudi Arabian students, most Korean students do go to high school. The next area for comparison concerns time spent in school. For example, Saudi Arabian students are in school for about 6 hours per day, whereas Korean students are in school for about 9 hours per day. In addition, Korean students go to school for 6 days per week, unlike in Saudi Arabia where students go to school for 5 days per week. The final point is related to the vacation taken from school. For instance, in both countries, the period of vacation is about 4 months. Moreover, the vacation in both countries begins in July and December. In conclusion, although there are some differences in regard to time spent in school between two countries, there are many similarities.