Chapter 12: School Consolidation Policy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

School consolidation policy has consistently been implemented in the past three years in Saudi Arabia to reduce financial costs and enhance school resources. Approximately 39% of public schools in Saudi Arabia have a low student population so, in 2018, the national government implemented a strong consolidation plan across the board in both urban and rural settings. The chapter discusses how the Saudi Arabian government conceptualizes and implements school consolidation policy. Also, the chapter investigates the disparities and patterns among the three years of school consolidation implementation. Content analysis in the form of a multi-method is used to analyze the Ministry of Education (MOE) data regarding consolidated schools. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the School Planning Director, School Principal and teachers who experienced school consolidation. The data show 2019 was the year with the highest number of consolations, whereas the year 2020 documented the lowest number. When focusing on school level, the data indicate a higher pattern of elementary school consolidations, while high schools reported the lowest in all three years. When considering the regions of the Saudi education system, the central region consistently held the highest total of school consolidation in all of the three years. The School Planning Director affirms school consolidation positively reduces the financial cost and provides better school resources. The School Principal and teachers confirm school consolidation enhances students’ interaction in classrooms. Also, the consolidated school was provided more specialized teachers. However, all interviewees stated that MOE established the consolidation policy without including school personnel in their decision-making process. School personnel voices must be heard to better evaluate the effectiveness of school consolidation.