Saudi Arabia has hired over 9,000 female music teachers as the Kingdom’s ministry of education introduced music education into curriculum from kindergarten and primary school. The move has sparked widespread outrage across the country.
The Saudi Ministry of Culture’s Director of Planning, Noor al-Dabbagh, disclosed during the Learn Conference in Riyadh that the Ministry is now training over 9,000 female instructors to teach music in classrooms.
A lot of people on social media reacted negatively to this move, which is a part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s larger reform goal. Many saw it as a break from the nation’s moral and religious principles.
Many critics claim the action goes against Islamic principles which led to a X trend hashtag “#WeRejectTeachingMusicInSchools”, amassing over 25,000 tweets. The decision has been criticized as a mistake, and some who worry it may change Saudi Arabia’s identity and erode the principles that have long structured its culture are calling for a reexamination.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has seen dramatic socio-economic transformations as part of massive reforms espoused by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
