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Education
History of Education in Kuwait
The development of the Kuwaiti educational system can be largely attributed to the wealth that oil has brought to the
country. At the turn of the 20th Century, there were very few educational facilities in the country. A small number of
Quranic schools known as Al-Katatib taught reading, writing, and some arithmetic. There was no public education for the
first part of the century and funding for education came mainly from Kuwait’s wealthier private citizens.
The government took control of education in 1939 and had begun 17 schools by 1945. As oil production picked up in the
post-World War II era, the government began investing large sums of money into social services, and education was one
of its top priorities. By 1960, there were about 45,000 students enrolled in the Kuwaiti educational system, including
18,000 girls.
In the 1960’s, there were several more advances in education. The constitution of 1962 stipulates that education is
assured and promoted by the State, thus reflecting the belief that education is a fundamental right of all citizens.
Schooling was first made compulsory in 1965, and in 1967 a private school system re-emerged with the help of
considerable government subsidies .
Today's Education in Kuwait
Today, Kuwait’s education system is larger than ever. There are currently close to 500,000 students enrolled in Kuwaiti
schools, constituting approximately 30 percent of the entire population.
There are three basic levels of education in Kuwait – elementary, intermediate, and secondary. Each level involves four
years of study, and schooling usually begins at age six. Pre-school is available to four to six year olds, and students who
complete their basic education can continue on to higher education. Schooling is compulsory for all children ages six to 14
(elementary and intermediate levels) and all stages of state education, including higher education, are free. Students in all
Kuwaiti schools study English beginning in the second grade.
Many Kuwaitis choose not to send their children to government schools but, rather, enroll them in private schools. There
are numerous private schools in Kuwait, many of which have foreign sponsors and are co-ed. The Bayan Bilingual School,
the American School of Kuwait, the American International School, the British School of Kuwait, and the French School are
several of the many prestigious private schools available to the Kuwaiti population.
Private education is not wholly funded by the government, although it is generously subsidized. The Kuwaiti government
pours more than KD 5.6 million per annum into private educational facilities in addition to allotting land for school
construction and distributing textbooks.
Unlike most co-ed private schools, Kuwaiti public schools are segregated by sex beginning in the first grade. Women are
granted the same rights to education as men and the Ministry of Education has worked to further the education of women
through various programs such as a 1989 initiative to establish daytime literacy clinics for women.
The Kuwaiti government ensures that each new school contains a library and has expanded the collection of books in
existing school libraries from 230,000 (before the Iraqi invasion) to more than 3 million today. The government has also
launched an “Education Net” project to connect every government school and library in Kuwait to a telecommunications
data network.
There’s a fairly wide choice of schools in Kuwait, although state (i.e. government-funded) schools aren’t usually an option
for foreign children. These are attended by local and expatriate Arabs, who share culture, language and religion. The
private sector provides for the expatriate communities, and its schools are generally of a reasonable standard, especially
for primary education. However, a child’s secondary education is sometimes better provided for in their home country. The
Ministry of Education controls standards in the state schools and have some influence over the establishment, legitimacy
and running of those in the private sector, in some instances stipulating that school hours and days match those of the
state schools.
STRUCTURE OF EDUCATION SYSTEM
Pre-higher education:
Duration of compulsory education:
Primary
Type of school providing this education: Primary School
Type of school providing this education: Intermediate School
General Secondary
Type of school providing this education: General Secondary
Higher Education in Kuwait
There are two state supported institutions of Higher Education in Kuwait:
In addition, there are a number of private post-secondary colleges and universities that are approved by the Kuwait
Ministry of Higher Education:
Kuwait University
Kuwait University is a co-educational institution made up of five campuses in Kuwait City. Since its establishment in 1966,
the university has grown from just over 400 students to nearly 18,000 men and women and has expanded from only 31
faculty members to include numerous colleges and departments.To find out more about Kuwait University,
visit http://www.kuniv.edu.kw/.
The Public Authority for Applied Education and Training
In 1982, the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training was established to incorporate the various educational
facilities that had been created to fill the need for technical and vocational training in Kuwait.
Today, PAAET is comprised of two entities: Applied Education and Training. PAAET is charged with providing and developing
a national labor force to meet the developmental requirements of the nation. It is also works towards diversifying Kuwait's
national economy by training students for careers beyond the oil industry. To find out more about the Public Authority for
Applied Education and Training, visit http://www.paaet.edu.kw/.
In addition to these institutions, Kuwait sponsors several Quranic schools, a musical school, and a teacher's institution.
Other Institutes of Higher Education
Kuwait's Musical Academy offers general education and musical training in the musical arts.
Other institutions of higher education include a teachers' college and several Quranic schools.
The development of the Kuwaiti educational system can be largely attributed to the wealth that oil has brought to the
country. At the turn of the 20th Century, there were very few educational facilities in the country. A small number of
Quranic schools known as Al-Katatib taught reading, writing, and some arithmetic. There was no public education for the
first part of the century and funding for education came mainly from Kuwait’s wealthier private citizens.
The government took control of education in 1939 and had begun 17 schools by 1945. As oil production picked up in the
post-World War II era, the government began investing large sums of money into social services, and education was one
of its top priorities. By 1960, there were about 45,000 students enrolled in the Kuwaiti educational system, including
18,000 girls.
In the 1960’s, there were several more advances in education. The constitution of 1962 stipulates that education is
assured and promoted by the State, thus reflecting the belief that education is a fundamental right of all citizens.
Schooling was first made compulsory in 1965, and in 1967 a private school system re-emerged with the help of
considerable government subsidies .
Today's Education in Kuwait
Today, Kuwait’s education system is larger than ever. There are currently close to 500,000 students enrolled in Kuwaiti
schools, constituting approximately 30 percent of the entire population.
There are three basic levels of education in Kuwait – elementary, intermediate, and secondary. Each level involves four
years of study, and schooling usually begins at age six. Pre-school is available to four to six year olds, and students who
complete their basic education can continue on to higher education. Schooling is compulsory for all children ages six to 14
(elementary and intermediate levels) and all stages of state education, including higher education, are free. Students in all
Kuwaiti schools study English beginning in the second grade.
Many Kuwaitis choose not to send their children to government schools but, rather, enroll them in private schools. There
are numerous private schools in Kuwait, many of which have foreign sponsors and are co-ed. The Bayan Bilingual School,
the American School of Kuwait, the American International School, the British School of Kuwait, and the French School are
several of the many prestigious private schools available to the Kuwaiti population.
Private education is not wholly funded by the government, although it is generously subsidized. The Kuwaiti government
pours more than KD 5.6 million per annum into private educational facilities in addition to allotting land for school
construction and distributing textbooks.
Unlike most co-ed private schools, Kuwaiti public schools are segregated by sex beginning in the first grade. Women are
granted the same rights to education as men and the Ministry of Education has worked to further the education of women
through various programs such as a 1989 initiative to establish daytime literacy clinics for women.
The Kuwaiti government ensures that each new school contains a library and has expanded the collection of books in
existing school libraries from 230,000 (before the Iraqi invasion) to more than 3 million today. The government has also
launched an “Education Net” project to connect every government school and library in Kuwait to a telecommunications
data network.
There’s a fairly wide choice of schools in Kuwait, although state (i.e. government-funded) schools aren’t usually an option
for foreign children. These are attended by local and expatriate Arabs, who share culture, language and religion. The
private sector provides for the expatriate communities, and its schools are generally of a reasonable standard, especially
for primary education. However, a child’s secondary education is sometimes better provided for in their home country. The
Ministry of Education controls standards in the state schools and have some influence over the establishment, legitimacy
and running of those in the private sector, in some instances stipulating that school hours and days match those of the
state schools.
STRUCTURE OF EDUCATION SYSTEM
Pre-higher education:
Duration of compulsory education:
- Age of entry: 6
- Age of exit: 14
Primary
Type of school providing this education: Primary School
- Length of program in years: 4
- Age level from: 6 to: 10
Type of school providing this education: Intermediate School
- Length of program in years: 4
- Age level from: 10 to: 14
General Secondary
Type of school providing this education: General Secondary
- Length of program in years: 4
- Age level from: 14 to: 18
Higher Education in Kuwait
There are two state supported institutions of Higher Education in Kuwait:
- Kuwait University.
- Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (2-year college).
In addition, there are a number of private post-secondary colleges and universities that are approved by the Kuwait
Ministry of Higher Education:
- Gulf University for Sciences and Technology.
- Australian College of Kuwait.
- American University of Kuwait.
- Gulf American College.
- Maastricht School for MBA.
- Box-Hill College for Girls.
Kuwait University
Kuwait University is a co-educational institution made up of five campuses in Kuwait City. Since its establishment in 1966,
the university has grown from just over 400 students to nearly 18,000 men and women and has expanded from only 31
faculty members to include numerous colleges and departments.To find out more about Kuwait University,
visit http://www.kuniv.edu.kw/.
The Public Authority for Applied Education and Training
In 1982, the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training was established to incorporate the various educational
facilities that had been created to fill the need for technical and vocational training in Kuwait.
Today, PAAET is comprised of two entities: Applied Education and Training. PAAET is charged with providing and developing
a national labor force to meet the developmental requirements of the nation. It is also works towards diversifying Kuwait's
national economy by training students for careers beyond the oil industry. To find out more about the Public Authority for
Applied Education and Training, visit http://www.paaet.edu.kw/.
In addition to these institutions, Kuwait sponsors several Quranic schools, a musical school, and a teacher's institution.
Other Institutes of Higher Education
Kuwait's Musical Academy offers general education and musical training in the musical arts.
Other institutions of higher education include a teachers' college and several Quranic schools.
