DAMMAM, 17 March — A letter from a Saudi girl in secondary school responded to last week’s article on the need to get serious about computer education. Her letter came as an absolute shock. She said that students in non-Saudi schools were fortunate to have computer courses at elementary and secondary level. She wrote: “You criticized the standard of teaching of computer sciences at certain schools. They are fortunate, nonetheless, to have computer subjects at all. Most Saudi students do not have any computer instruction until secondary school.”
Certainly it was a shocking revelation. In the modern technological world, the absence of computer instruction at elementary and secondary level is beyond belief. There is no denying that Saudi Arabia is well aware of technological advances and its industrial growth in the past 10 years has been phenomenal. All previous budgets — and the present one — have earmarked the maximum expenditure on education, reflecting the keenness of the government to face the challenges of modern society.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd, who was the country’s first education minister, has always given top priority to education. As a result of many efforts and careful planning, the general level of literacy in the Kingdom is high and the numbers of educational institutions have increased along with the country’s population.
It is absolutely necessary that Saudi children be trained and taught in computer sciences from their first days in school. The country has the resources, the budget and the skilled professionals. There is no justifiable excuse for not having computer instruction at all elementary and secondary schools.
Fayez, a secondary school teacher offers this explanation: “We have been following the traditional syllabus for years and there has been no change. Moreover, English is a must for learning computer basics and there is no English at the early levels.” He admitted that there was a strong desire among his students to learn about computers. “The coming of the Internet to the Kingdom has increased this desire.”
Reema, a teacher at a girls elementary school in Alkhobar said, “It is unfair that our students are denied computer instruction at both elementary and secondary level.” She said that many teachers and educators felt it was time to revise the curriculum and bring it in line with present-day requirements. She said that many of her students had learned what they wanted to know about computers on their own. “This reflects their desire so why not start as early as possible in school?”
Saudi Arabia is now competing in international markets and has made a place for itself. At the same time it, emphasizes the need to Saudize country’s work force. This is both important and necessary. And preparation for this must begin at the most basic levels. Youth must be prepared to assume the responsibilities of the foreign workforce and if they are to do so, they must be properly trained. In the world of the 21st century, computer operations are dominant in virtually every field. A student who is computer literate will achieve more than one who is not. With this in mind, shouldn’t we provide a solid educational foundation for Saudi students so that their country can compete both domestically and internationally?