JEDDAH, 29 August 2007 — The new academic year that starts in early September will include the introduction of new teaching methods that will be tested at some schools. If these techniques are successful they might later be introduced in all of the Kingdom’s public schools.
Two secondary schools and two middle schools in North Jeddah will apply a new technique called the Comprehensive Developmental Project that would merge a number of schoolbooks and subjects into one course.
The studies of the Arabic language, including grammar, literature, composition and reading, will be merged into one textbook. Geography and history will also be merged.
Computer science will be introduced as a new subject in elementary and middle school levels and, according to Lamia Al-Haj, head of the Curriculum Development Department at the Ministry of Education in Jeddah, computing courses might be added to higher grades later.
“If this experience is successful, these students will be taught (computer science) in higher grades in coming years,” said Al-Haj, adding that the decision was made last year under orders from the king to provide computer literacy skills for Saudi students through hands-on experience with computers. The aim is to provide computer literacy to all Saudi youngsters that go through the public school system.
An English curriculum for fourth graders will also be introduced at four public schools for girls.
Currently, the ministry has implemented a trial program at the 27th Secondary Girls School in Jeddah where students can specialize in science, the arts or vocational training. Students will be free to choose from different courses in a system similar to curriculums presented at the university level.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Abdullah Bin-Obaid said the education sector has been allocated a total of SR21 billion over the past three years.
“The government allocated SR12 billion from the budget surplus over the past three years for the construction of school buildings while it received SR9 billion from the King Abdullah Project for Educational Development for the curriculum and teachers’ improvement, extracurricular activities and the preparation of an educational environment. The education sector also gets an annual allocation of more than SR2.5 billion,” Bin-Obaid said in his welcome address to the 16th annual meeting of the higher education officials, hosted by the General Administration for Education in the Makkah region yesterday.
Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal opened the two-day event. Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishaal ibn Majed, deputy ministers and undersecretaries at the Education Ministry, and directors of the education administration in all the governorates in the Kingdom attended the meeting, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The education minister commended the government for the speedy allocation of the required land for schools besides issuing the licenses for the school buildings.
“The annual meeting of senior education officials brings together deputy ministers, directors of the education administration, directors of the administrative and financial departments and undersecretaries of school affairs, buildings, planning and developments. This gives them the opportunity to discuss all issues related to the education administration so that the quality of education could be improved,” the minister said.
