Afghanistan However, there are still significant obstacles to education in Afghanistan, many of which stem from a lack of funding. Planning curricula and school programs is difficult for the Ministry of Education because a significant amount of the budget for education comes from varying external donors each year, making it difficult to predict what the · Armenia On the basis of the expansion and development of Yerevan State University a number of higher educational independent Institutions were formed including Medical Institute separated in 1930 which was set up on the basis of medical faculty. In 1980 Yerevan State Medical University was awarded one of the main rewards of the former USSR - the Order of¹ · Azerbaijan In the pre-Soviet period, Azerbaijani education included intensive Islamic religious training that commenced in early childhood. Beginning at roughly age five and sometimes continuing until age twenty, children attended madrasahs, education institutions affiliated with mosques. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, madrasahs were¹ · Bahrain Bahrain has the oldest public education system in the Arabian Peninsula. The system was established in 1932 when the government assumed responsibility for operating two preexisting primary schools for boys. Subsequently, separate facilities for girls and various secondary programs were established. Since the 1970s, education has been one of the · Bangladesh "Statistical Pocket Book-2006" . Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. 2006. http://www.bbs.gov.bd/dataindex/pb_wb_page.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-12-16 · Bhutan Western-style education was introduced to Bhutan during the reign of Ugyen Wangchuck . Until the 1950s, the only formal education available to Bhutanese students, except for private schools in Ha and Bumthang, was through Buddhist monasteries. In the 1950s, several private secular schools were established without government support, and several · Brunei · Burma The educational system of Burma is operated by the government Ministry of Education. Universities and professional institutes from upper Burma and lower Burma are run by two separate entities, the Departments of Higher Education , whose office headquarters are based in Yangon and Mandalay respectively. The education system is based on the United² · Cambodia Traditional education in Cambodia was handled by the local wat, and the bonzes were the teachers. The students were almost entirely young boys, and the education was limited to memorizing Buddhist chants in Pali. During the period of the French protectorate, an educational system based on the French model was inaugurated alongside the traditional · People's Republic of China The People's Republic of China has a nationwide system of public education, which includes primary schools, middle schools , and universities. Nine years of education is technically compulsory for all Chinese students · Cyprus¹ · East Timor³ · Egypt Egypt has the largest education system in the Middle East and North Africa and it has grown rapidly since the early 1990s. In recent years the Government of Egypt has accorded even greater priority in improving the education system. According to the Human Development Index (HDI),Egypt is ranked 116 in the HDI. With the help of World Bank and other⁴ · Georgia Education in Georgia is free of charge and compulsory from the age of 6 or 7 until 16 years. In 1996, the gross primary enrollment rate was 88.2 percent, and the net primary enrollment rate was 87 percent. Although the Constitution mandates that education is “free,” related expenses that include books prevent some children from attending⁴ · India Education in India has a history stretching back to the ancient urban centres of learning at Taxila and Nalanda. Western education became ingrained into Indian society with the establishment of the British Raj. Education in India falls under the control of both the central government and the states, with some responsibilities lying with the centre · Indonesia Education in Indonesia is the responsibility of the Ministry of National Education of Indonesia . Education in Indonesia was previously the responsibility of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia (Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia/Depdikbud). In Indonesia, every citizen has to have nine years of education, six · Iran Kindergarten in Iran, also mandatory, begins at the age of 5 for 1-year duration. Primary school (Dabestan) starts at the age of 6 for a duration of 5 years. Middle school, also known as orientation cycle (Rahnamayi), goes from the sixth to the eighth grade. High school (Dabirestan), for which the last three years is not mandatory, is divided · Iraq Education in Iraq is administered by the Ministry of Education · Israel Education in Israel plays a major part in the life and culture of the country. Israel has a comprehensive education system with an emphasis on progressive educational trends. Expenditure on education accounts for approximately 10% of GDP, and most schools are subsidized by the state · Japan In Japan, education is compulsory at the elementary and lower secondary levels. Virtually all students progress to the upper secondary level, which is voluntary. Most students attend public schools through the lower secondary level, but private education is popular at the upper secondary and university levels · Jordan Education system of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has improved consistently since the mid-1900s. The role of good education system has been significant in the development of Jordan from a predominantly agrarian to an industrialized nation. Jordan's education system ranks number one in the Arab World and one of the highest in the developing world · Kazakhstan Following independence from the Soviet Union a major economic depression cut "public financing" for education in Kazakhstan, "which dropped from 6% of gross domestic product in 1991 to about 3% in 1994, before rising to 4% in 1999." Elementary- and secondary-school teachers remain badly underpaid; in 1993 more than 30,000⁴ · North Korea Education in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is strictly controlled by the government. Children go through one year of kindergarten, four years of primary education, six years of secondary education, and then on to universities. Two notable universities in the DPRK are the Kim Il-sung University and Pyongyang University of Science and · South Korea Education in South Korea is important for success and competition is consequently very heated and fierce. A centralized administration oversees the process for the education of children from kindergarten to the third and final year of high school. Mathematics, science, Korean, social studies, and English are generally considered to be the most · Kuwait State of Kuwait is directing its attention towards Inclusive Education, which provides opportunity to all children, irrespective of their social class, including children with special needs .It is ranked 29th on Human Development Index by UNESCO, highest among other Arab countries . Kuwait education system is marked by several achievements in · Kyrgyzstan Education in Kyrgyzstan is compulsory for nine years, between ages seven and 15. Following four years of primary and five years of lower secondary school, the system offers two years of upper secondary school, specialized secondary school, or vocational/technical school. In 2001 some 89 percent of the relevant age-group was enrolled in the · Laos Of the many ethnic groups in Laos, only the Lao Loum had a tradition of formal education, reflecting the fact that the languages of the other groups had no written script. Until the midtwentieth century, education was primarily based in the Buddhist wat, where the monks taught novices and other boys to read both Lao and Pali scripts, basic · Lebanon Primary education in Lebanon is for children aged 5 to 6. Basic education composes of two levels: elementary level and intermediate level. Elementary level is grade 1 to 3 and grades 4 to 6 (cycle 2). Intermediate level is grades 7 to 9 (cycle 3). Secondary Education is grades 10 to 12 (cycle 4) · Malaysia Secular schools in Malaysia were largely an innovation of the British colonial government. There were four initial proposals for developing the national education system: the Barnes Report, Razak's Report, Ordinan Report and the Fenn-Wu Report. The former proposal was implemented through the 1952 Education Ordinance · Maldives Traditionally children aged three and up in the Maldives were educated in Islamic "Makthab" classes, generally using a single large room or the shelter of tree. The children learn simple arithmetic, Dhivehi and some Arabic, and practise reciting the Qur'an. These private schools still exist, but western-style schooling is becoming more · Mongolia Education in Mongolia follows the older Soviet model of nursery school, kindergarten, ten-year primary and secondary school, and then university. After a decline in enrollment ratios during the transition to a market economy in the 1990, school attendance is now once more near-universal: primary school attendance rate is estimated at 97%, and · Nepal Modern education in Nepal began with the establishment of the first school in 1853. However, this school was only for the members of the ruling families and their courtiers. Schooling for the general people began only after 1951 when a popular movement ended the autocratic Rana family regime and initiated a democratic system. In the past fifty · Oman Education in Oman is provided free of charge up to the end of secondary education, though attendance is not mandatory at any level. In 1970 there were only three formal schools with 900 students in the whole country. Oman's national educational program expanded rapidly during the 1970s and the 1980s. In 2006–2007 about 560,000 students attended 1 · Pakistan Education in Pakistan is divided into five levels: primary ; middle (grades six through eight); high (grades nine and ten, leading to the Secondary School Certificate); intermediate (grades eleven and twelve, leading to a Higher Secondary School Certificate); and university programs leading to graduate and advanced degrees · Philippines During the period of colonialization by the United States, Education in the Philippines changed radically, modelled on the system of Education in the United States of the time. After the Second World War, changes in the US system were no longer automatically reflected in the Philippines, which has since moved in various directions of its own · Qatar Along with the country’s free health care to every citizen, every child has free education from kindergarten through high school. Some universities from the United States have opened satellite campuses in the country at Education City, Qatar. The universities include Weill Medical College, Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, · Russia Education in Russia is provided predominantly by the state and is regulated by the federal Ministry of Education. Regional authorities regulate education within their jurisdictions within the prevailing framework of federal laws. In 2004 state spending for education amounted to 3.6% of GDP, or 13% of consolidated state budget. Private institutions⁴ · Saudi Arabia According to the results of the demographic survey conducted by the Department of Statistics and Information, Ministry of Economy and Planning in 2007 the incidence of illiteracy among the Saudi population is 13.7%. The illiteracy rate stood at 1.4% for the age group 10 to 14 years, while the highest level in the age group between the ages of 65 · Singapore Education in Singapore is managed by the Ministry of Education , which controls the development and administration of state schools receiving government funding, but also has an advisory and supervisory role in respect of private schools. For both private and state schools, there are variations in the extent of autonomy in their curriculum, scope · Sri Lanka However exceptions to this system exists. Mostly when it comes to tertiary with several public universities and institutes coming under the purview of different ministries. These divisions have led to a high degree of mismanagement and inefficiency over the years · Syria Despite being a low-income country with a growing population, Syria has a good basic education system.Since 2000 the Government of Syria has significantly increased the expenditure on education. Also as government is the main source for financing education at all stages, the proportion of total government expenditure jumped from 12.6 percent in 200 · Tajikistan School attendance is mandatory between the ages of seven and 17, but many children fail to attend because of economic needs and security concerns in some regions. The core years of school attendance include four years of primary school and two stages of secondary school, lasting five and two years, respectively. In 2001 preprimary enrollment was · Republic of China The educational system in Taiwan is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China . The system produces pupils with some of the highest test scores in the world, especially in mathematics and science. It has been criticised for placing excessive pressure on students and eschewing creativity in favour of rote memorization⁵ · Thailand Education in Thailand is provided mainly by the Thai government through the Ministry of Education from pre-school to senior high school. A free basic education of twelve years is guaranteed by the constitution, and a minimum of nine years' school attendance is mandatory · Turkey The Turkish Education System was built in accordance with the Atatürk Reforms after the Turkish War of Independence. It is a state supervised system designed to produce a skillful professional class for the social and economic institutes of the nation⁴ · Turkmenistan In the Soviet era, Turkmenistan’s population was considered to be well educated. In 2002 the literacy rate was estimated at 98 percent. However, since independence a serious deterioration of the education system has depleted the overall skill level of the working population. The government has limited curricula by eliminating a wide variety of · United Arab Emirates Provision of quality education in the United Arab Emirates began shortly after the establishment of the federation with the inception of the first university in Al Ayn, Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates University. Since then, the country has progressed with efforts of ensuring high literacy rates, modern programs and women’s share in · Uzbekistan In Uzbekistan, eleven years of primary and secondary education are obligatory, starting at age seven. This requirement includes four years of primary school and two cycles of secondary school, lasting five and two years, respectively. The rate of attendance in those grades is high, although the figure is significantly lower in rural areas than in · Vietnam Vietnam's education system is divided into 5 categories: pre-primary, primary, intermediate, secondary, and higher education. The normal starting time of schools in VietNam is at 7 o'clock or 7:30. The finish time depends on the levels and usually at 4 o'clock, which means a longer hours of studying than other countries. Vietnam is a country where · Yemen The Government of Yemen has made the development of education system its top priority. The share of the budget dedicated to education has remained high during the past decade, averaging between 14 to 20% of the total government expenditure and as of 2000 it is 32.8 percent . The education expenditure is 9.6 percent of GDP for the year 2001 as seen

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