Education and Training

Formal education

The Kingdom of Bahrain, a pioneer in education in the region since 1919, boasts a robust and inclusive education system. The Kingdom's commitment to non-discriminatory education has been globally recognized, with a 95% literacy rate and a high ranking in the Human Development Index.

Compulsory education

Adhering to Bahrain education law number 27,2005, Article 6 "Education for All", Bahrain offers free, quality education in public schools to both Bahraini nationals and expatriates. This includes integrating students with special needs into well-equipped schools, ensuring accessibility for all, and leaving no one behind, as outlined in the Education’s Strategic Plan 2023-2026 (PDF, 2.5MB, 2 Pages, Arabic Only) released by the Ministry of Education.

Compulsory education spans nine years (primary education), covering elementary and intermediate levels, and is followed by three years of secondary education with various tracks and tertiary education. Basic Education is compulsory for nine years starting from age 6, that is Primary Education & Intermediate Education. Then it is followed by three years of Secondary Education that offers various tracks. After completion of the secondary level, students can then begin tertiary education.

The Kingdom of Bahrain has spared no efforts to invest in the education sector to keep abreast of global trends which are reshaping education worldwide and redefining teaching and learning, beyond the traditional patterns. For this reason, it has harnessed all necessary resources and means to provide the modern infrastructure that supports the ICT strides, upgrade the curricula, enhance teaching methods and learning practices.

The Ministry of Education launched The Digital Empowerment in Education Program in 2015. The Program came in conjunction with sustainable development goals adopted in 2015. The creativity, technology, and knowledge by all members of society is essential to achieve SDGs.

The Digital Empowerment in Education Program includes several digital empowerment initiatives such as eduNET; (MOE) current national e-learning platform which is developed internally by MOE and was published in 2015. The platform was implemented to serve all government schools and aimed to improve quality of education in the Kingdom of Bahrain. It contains several administrative and educational features. The platform helped in improving teaching through e-learning and enhanced students’ self-learning. It also replaced the traditional learning materials by digital methods and engaged parents in their children academic life.

This initiative enabled the education sector to continue seamlessly during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, the "My Digital Library" initiative, which aims to host distinguished digital content produced by teachers and students in the government schools, and which won several prizes such as The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) Prize for Open Digital Educational Resources in 2019 and the Arab Government Excellence Award in January 2023 for the best Arab government project to develop education.

This initiative pays great attention to let the produced content accessible and participatory to all as an Open Educational Resource (OER), that is evaluated and adopted according to specific criteria, indicators and policies. Moreover, the initiative ensures the quality of the national production of digital content in terms of education and technology, and to publish it on My Digital Library website for general benefit. The Kingdom’s efforts are noted in the OER Report by UNESCO (Chapter 2).

People with Disabilities and special needs are well-catered in Bahrain’s public schools. The Kingdom has well-equipped school facilities and provides specialized teachers to ensure smooth involvement and learning process for this integral part of the community.

Investment in Education is growing quickly in Bahrain, making it a valuable opportunity for international education companies looking to tap into the GCC market. The Kingdom has an unrivaled commitment to educational excellence, with the region’s longest-established education system. Combined with Bahrain’s dynamic economy and pro-business stance, the Kingdom offers significant opportunities for investing in education, particularly in specialized higher education and executive training.

Coping with cutting-edge tectological advancements, many universities, like the University of Bahrain, Bahrain Polytechnic, Bahrain Teachers College, and other higher education institutions have launched academic programs in emerging technologies such as Cloud Computing, AI, and Cyber Security along with innovation labs. Bahrain Polytechnic signed a partnership agreement with Apple Inc. to establish Bahrain’s first Apple-authorized training center, which will be located at the university campus and will offer Apple-certified courses and accreditation for students and professionals in Bahrain who are interested in developing coding and designing skills. Furthermore, Bahrain Teachers college (CAEP Accredited until 2030) helps to provide educators who will transform Bahrain's human capital, bring about innovation, and aspire competition and creativity.

Training

Bahrain ranks second in the Arab world and 35th globally in workforce skills, reflecting its dedication to training, as highlighted by the Human Development Index 2022. Aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Bahrain focuses on enhancing workforce skills to meet evolving labor market demands, addressing skills gaps through specialized programs, such as critical thinking and innovation.

One of the cornerstones of Bahrain’s national reform project and its Economic Vision 2030, is the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), which bolsters private sector development and equips Bahrainis with market-relevant skills. Tamkeen channels investment into training and certifications to cultivate a skilled workforce.

The Bahrain Institute of Public Administration offers various training courses, including Specialized Programs, Leadership Programs, Short Courses, and the National Leadership Development Program. These programs are designed to elevate public sector performance, align skills with contemporary trends, and prepare government employees for future leadership roles.

Key initiatives include the Technical Development Program launched by the Information & eGovernment Authority and the Ministry of Labour. The program is catered for recent graduates in ICT fields in which graduates will receive intensive on-the-job training, obtain professional internationally accredited certificates, and get the opportunity to be employed in the public and private sectors as part of the training program.