Education in Kuwait

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Kuwait, a high income country with a small population, can afford to give out free education to all citizens regardless of gender.

Basically, Kuwait’s educational system is composed of three levels, elementary, intermediate and secondary. All levels require four years to finish. Elementary education begins usually when a child reaches the age of 6. When the students finish elementary education, then they would be eligible to move on to the intermediate levels. Beyond the intermediate level, free education stops as government subsidy does not cover secondary education.

However, most Kuwaiti citizens don’t send their children to public schools. Probably, because they can afford to send their children to private schools which are usually co-ed and usually have better school facilities. Most Kuwaitis send their children to the Bayan Bilingual School, the British School of Kuwait, the American International School, the American School of Kuwait and the French School. But even though most families don’t send their children to these government-sponsored schools, still the government gives generous subsidies to private academic facilities. In fact, the government allots KD 5.6 million yearly to private schools on top of the lands used for school infrastructures and textbooks. In the private school setting, although there is a co-ed set-up, male and female students are still segregated starting from the first grade.

Kuwait also gives importance to Higher Education. Currently, the government gives out full scholarships to deserving students who can get admitted to universities in the United States, the United Kingdom or in any other foreign country as long as the foreign school is world-renowned.

Right now, the government is also keen on sponsoring scholarships on fields of studies that will prepare the way for the development of other industries once the oil is gone.