Nine years are enough: Reforming pre-university education

Pre-university education in the Arab world remains a cornerstone for preparing students for higher education and the workforce. Yet the system’s twelve-year structure is marked by repetition, inefficiency and limited innovation.

Core subjects such as Arabic, English, religious studies, science and mathematics often recycle the same content across multiple years with little cumulative progression. This redundancy drains students, families and resources, while turning schools into sites of rote learning rather than spaces for creativity and exploration.

Many students graduate without strong problem-solving or analytical skills, leaving them unprepared for modern university demands. Teachers also struggle under rigid curricula that leave little room for innovation or adaptation to student needs. As a result, the gap between education outcomes and the requirements of today’s job market continues to widen.

A more effective alternative is to reduce schooling to nine or ten years of intensive, cumulative instruction. The aim is not to diminish quality but to improve efficiency by restructuring curricula to build progressively and ensure each year adds genuine intellectual and practical value. International models support this approach.

Finland, for example, provides only nine years of compulsory education yet consistently ranks among the world’s top systems. Parts of Germany achieve similar outcomes with ten years. These examples show that success depends less on the number of years spent in classrooms and more on the depth and relevance of what is taught. A shorter, well-designed cycle could free students from unnecessary repetition while giving them time to explore personal interests, vocational skills, or early professional training. It could also allow governments to redirect saved resources towards raising teacher quality and modernising school infrastructure, both of which are critical for long-term improvement.

Reform, however, must go beyond shortening the school cycle. Five priorities are critical. First, curricula should emphasise core skills, cumulative learning and early integration of critical thinking, problem-solving and research. Students need opportunities to apply knowledge in real-life contexts, through projects, debates and inquiry-based assignments, rather than simply memorising textbook content. Second, teacher development must shift towards preparing educators as mentors who guide students in navigating digital information and leveraging artificial intelligence. Teachers should be equipped to foster curiosity, encourage collaboration and model lifelong learning habits that students can carry forward into adulthood. Third, technology should be embedded institutionally, with adaptive platforms that personalise learning and foster student engagement. Such systems can identify individual strengths and weaknesses and offer customised lessons that keep students challenged without leaving them behind. Fourth, resources saved from a shorter cycle should be reinvested in infrastructure such as labs, digital libraries and collaborative learning spaces, to transform schools into environments of experimentation and creativity. This would also help bridge the gap between theoretical lessons and practical, hands-on skills that are highly valued in the modern workplace.

Finally, flexible pathways after the foundational stage should allow students to pursue general secondary education, vocational training or early university admission in alignment with their abilities. Such flexibility ensures that students with different talents and career goals all have a clear route towards success, whether in academia, trades or entrepreneurship.

These measures are both practical and urgent. Education today should be measured not by years completed but by students’ ability to meet contemporary challenges and shape their futures. In a rapidly changing world shaped by technology, globalisation and shifting job markets, the value of education lies in how well it prepares young people to think critically, adapt to new situations and contribute meaningfully to society. Shortening the pre-university cycle is therefore not a peripheral reform but a strategic investment in building a more agile, creative and future-ready generation. By focusing on efficiency, innovation and student-centred learning, Arab education systems can move away from outdated traditions and align more closely with global best practices. Ultimately, this reform is not just about improving schools; it is about empowering an entire generation to lead, innovate and thrive in the challenges of the 21st century.

Dr Omar Osman Jabak

The writer works at UTAS, Rustaq

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