BURAIDAH, 20 August 2004 — The women’s committee responsible for authoring the new English textbooks for Saudi schools has finished writing up the new English book for the second intermediate grade. It was the second in a series of books under the title “Say It in English” intended to be used in Saudi public schools for both boys and girls. Other subsequent versions of the series will be introduced gradually every year up to the third secondary stage.

Jawaher bint Mohammd Mahdi, the director of educational development in Ministry of Education’s female section in Jeddah and the head of the curricula modification team, told Arab News that the second intermediate grade book is ready and will be distributed starting from the new academic year.

Mahdi pointed out that the women’s committee had not been asked to write an English book for the sixth primary grade. Authorities have decided to teach English in the sixth grade for the first time starting the new academic year.

Mahdi denied that the book was written abroad by foreign publishers and the committee’s role was only modifying the book to the Saudi standards. “It was written solely and exclusively by Saudi women,” she emphasized.

Two years ago, the Ministry of Education had a contract with Macmillan Publishing Company through its local agent, Al-Solateeh for Education and Learning, to design a new book for the fourth elementary grade.

After the book was prepared and made available in the stores of the Ministry of Education, the whole project was brought to a halt when the Council of Ministers decided to scuttle the English language teaching program.

Though the Cabinet decided to postpone the introduction of English in elementary schools, it later agreed to start teaching the language from the sixth elementary grade onward.

It is not clear whether the sixth primary book to be used by the ministry is a modified copy of the British company’s book or it is a new book written exclusively by Saudi teachers.

The Ministry of Education did not announce any plans of subsequent versions of the book for the upper grades in the intermediate and secondary stages which are still using the “English for Saudi Arabia” series.

The women’s committee responsible for writing the “Say It in English” series include Hanan bint Radhwan Al-Suruji, Hanan bint Abdullah Al-Rayyis, Sahar bint Rushdi Al-Athamah and Hana bint Gazi Majdali for writing; Anfal Abdulaziz Saber and Thakerah bint Akhtar Mirza for revision and evaluation; and Jawaher bint Mohammad Mahdi as the supervisor of the team. Zakiah bint Maatoog Hasanain has participated in designing the workbook.

The new book consists of two books, the pupil’s book and the workbook. There are 20 units and each unit is divided into 40-45-minute lessons.

“The book is based upon language functions in which grammar is carefully controlled,” the female authors said in the introduction.

“The skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing are developed gradually with revision,” they said.