RIYADH, 29 April 2005 — A state-of-the-art school with English as the medium of instruction for science and mathematics will be launched here by a major Saudi group this September on the occasion of the Kingdom’s National Day, a spokesman for the group told Arab News.
He said the idea is to groom young Saudis to meet the challenges of the 21st century. “Besides English, we shall also offer French as a subject, while social sciences will be in Arabic. The school will have the latest equipment, including a sophisticated computer lab, to upgrade the students’ learning skills,” the spokesman added.
He pointed out that a subsidiary of the group, known as the Advanced Learning Schools (ALS), has been set up to provide quality education. The syllabus will be of international standard as part of the school’s curriculum enrichment program, with highly qualified teachers in charge.
The school will start enrolling students, both boys and girls, for Kindergarten to grade IX from the new academic year. The candidates will have to go through admission tests that will determine their ability.
ALS will provide a comprehensive curriculum for all grades in conformity with the regulations of the Ministry of Education. The spokesman emphasized that the objective behind the school is to raise a new generation of students who are capable of meeting future challenges.
“This is not a commercial venture, since all the income from the school will be utilized to further boost its quality at all levels. We shall recruit highly qualified staff for the school,” the spokesman said. He said that ALS will also have a separate section for children with special needs. They will be taught by highly qualified teachers, he added.
