Manama: Bahrain’s education minister has rejected a proposal to make foreign students pay fees in state schools, insisting there can be no discrimination in providing education in the kingdom.
The proposal was tabled by lawmakers who said public education should be free only for Bahrainis and the children of expatriates should pay 400 Bahraini dinars [Dh3,896] each annually to study at state schools.
“We do appreciate the [efforts] of lawmakers to file motions in a bid to serve the country and people, but the Ministry of Education insists that all citizens and residents in Bahrain should have free education,” Majid Al Nuaimi said.
“Providing free education for foreigners is in line with the policies of Bahrain and its legal and international commitments to promoting education free of charge. At the same time, a free education helps attract highly-qualified people whose vast experience and distinguished expertise benefit Bahrain in numerous areas.”
Al Nuaimi added that, among the state school students, there were 4,000 who did not have Bahraini citizenship, but were born to Bahraini mothers.
“Under the proposal, they would have to pay annual fees, but this would clash with the decisions to treat the sons and daughters of Bahraini mothers as citizens based on Law 35 for 2009,” Al Nuaimi said.
The law calls on the education ministry to treat the foreign wives of Bahraini men and the children of Bahraini women who married to non-Bahrainis as citizens.
Bahrain allows only fathers to pass on the Bahraini nationality to their children.
“Bahrain has always held education in high significance and most of the outstanding regional and international academic achievements can be attributed to the free education for all that nurtured great talents,” the minister said.
“As for foreign students, their numbers are not high and, at the same time, most of them are sons or daughters of expatriates who have contracts to work for the government, so it is natural that they can avail of free education in the country.”
