Private Education

The Directorate of Private education is the responsible body for supervising the Private Schools and Institutes. The Directorate with the coordination of the other directorates at the Ministry are providing all the private educational institutes with technical support and assistance such as finding teachers to be appointed; providing free Arabic language, Islamic education, Bahrain history and geography textbooks; and assigning specialists to supervise the teachers of those subject-matters.

The private educational institutes comprises the following types:

• Nurseries: They are under the supervision and control of the Ministry of social Development. They follow the women societies and charitable organizations, and some others follow individual institutions.
  
  
• Kindergarten: There are a variety of kindergartens in Bahrain, some follow the women societies and charitable organizations, some follow individual institutions and others are attached to private schools as an educational level within their systems. They are attended by children of three to six years old.

• Private Schools: These schools differ among themselves because of the variation of the educational system each school follows / adopts. Private schools in Bahrain are divided into two types as follows:
  
  
  1. National Private Schools: They are established and run by Bahraini citizens or with participation of non-Bahraini for the purpose of education on the basis of the national curricula or based on the curricula approved by the Ministry, under its supervision, and which primarily cater to Bahraini students. These schools have various educational levels, starting from kindergarten, primary, intermediate and secondary. They offer bilingual programs, i.e., subjects are taught in Arabic and English.
     
     
  2. Foreign Private Schools: They are established, run and finance by foreign persons or establishments in Bahrain for the purpose of education in accordance with foreign curricula and educational supervision, and awards certificates of the country of origin which is an extension thereof and which primarily cater to foreign students. These schools have various educational levels, starting from kindergarten, primary, intermediate and secondary. Arabic language is taught in all foreign schools that accept Arab students in addition to Islamic education for all Muslim students.
     
     
  3. Foreign Community Schools: They are established and financed by foreign communities in the State of Bahrain for the purpose of educating their children only.

• Educational Institutes and Centers: They differ among themselves because of the variation of the programs they offer. Some of them follow the commercial establishments and others follow individual Bahraini citizens. They offer training programs in foreign languages, computer, electronic typing, and various skills in communication, management and commerce...etc.
  
  Each private educational institute has its own curricula, study plans, courses and textbooks. They are submitted to the Ministry of education for approval. The Ministry has the right to modify or stop any curriculum or textbooks that is incompatible with the religious and national values of the country.

The Directorate of Private education is responsible for supervising Arabic language, Islamic education and social studies at the private schools. The Ministry provides these schools with free textbooks of those subjects and assigns specialists to supervise the teachers of those subjects.

The private schools comply with the curricula and textbooks approved by the Ministry that related to Arabic courses for Arab students, Islamic education for Muslim students, and Bahrain history and geography for all students. The minimum number of periods for these subjects to be taught weekly in a foreign private school is as follows:


• 6 periods weekly for Arabic language (first three grades of primary education)
• 4 periods weekly for Arabic language (the rest grades of primary, intermediate and Secondary education)
• One period weekly for Islamic education for Muslim students at all levels.
• All the students take social studies courses according to the Ministry's decision.

Legislations and Regulations show the full text of the Private Educational and Training Institutions in the State of Bahrain.