RIYADH: Scholarships to the UK have been stopped due to students learning an unsatisfactory level of English, said Dr. Mohammad Al-Hizan, spokesman for the Ministry of Higher Education.
Al-Hizan said that another reason for putting a stop on scholarships to Britain is the overcrowding of students in British universities, which can affect the level and quality of education they receive.
“When a Saudi student is in a class where there are many other Saudis, the real benefit is at stake here as they will form groups and will not rely on using the language as they should,” Al-Hizan explained.
“The scholarship was only stopped in the fifth stage, as there are over 16,000 Saudi students in Britain; it will hopefully resume in the sixth stage,” said Al-Hizan.
He confirmed that there is also cluster of Saudi students in English language institutes and centers in Britain, which is a matter of concern to the ministry.
“Therefore, for the first time, students will be compelled to enroll in language courses in the Kingdom and specifically in centers and institutes accredited by the ministry,” he said.
The level of education they attain, said Al-Hizan, will determine their acceptance in the next stage of King Abdullah’s Scholarship Program.
However, Adrian Chadwick, director & cultural counselor for the British Council in Riyadh, told Al-Riyadh newspaper last week that the halt was due to a desire to enhance the level of English language, something that could pose an obstacle for higher education students.
Speaking about a high concentration of Saudi students at English language centers and institutes, Chadwick said, “The ministry compels students to undergo a one to one and a half year of English language to be able to enroll in a British university where the education is of high standards.”
