Israeli textbook watchdog commends Saudi education reforms
Riyadh has removed material viewed as intolerant and introduced lessons on coexistence and critical thinking over the past decade.
An Israeli think tank has reviewed 136 Saudi schoolbooks over the past two decades and found most of the "problematic themes" that were seen as intolerant of Christians and Jews have been addressed. The curriculum has moved "toward greater moderation, inclusivity, and alignment with the broader reform objectives of Vision 2030," according to the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se).
Gone are references likening Christians and Jews to maimed animals; students now learn about coexistence from the Prophet Muhammad's treaties with them. Ninth-graders study Galileo as a lesson in independent thought, and sixth-graders are taught to argue against the idea that kindness is owed only to Muslims. The review also noted lessons encouraging compassion toward migrant workers and people with disabilities.
While IMPACT-se has documented troubling material in the textbooks, critics argue that extrapolating conclusions about intolerance or extremism based on a few phrases and sentences across hundreds of books may not be representative of the broader curriculum.
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