Maryam Khan, the human resources manager at the center, said that they came up with the idea as a team then approached the council. The British Council responded positively and agreed to improve the teachers’ English language skills during a four-week intensive course.

“It’s always good to improve communication skills because communication depends on the language and a better understanding of the language,” said Khan.

She described the course as “very interactive and that added to the participants’ enjoyment.”

The British Council restructured the course so that it could be delivered over the four-week period of Ramadan. Usually, the course is taught over seven weeks.

Bill Murray, acting director of the British Council Western Region, said the idea of arranging free access to a course during Ramadan was to enable the council to contribute to the local community in a way that was productive. He added that the initiative also formed part of the council’s Ramadan outreach program.

Teachers have been attending from Saturday to Wednesday since the beginning of Ramadan in order to finish the 40-hour course.

Khan says she hopes to see the improvements in September.

The Hope for Exceptional Needs Center is a semi-charity organization that aims to help children with special needs integrate successfully in society.

Just like any other school, the center charges for its services, but fees vary depending on the financial status of the child’s parents.

According to Khan, the organization operates partly on a charity basis, but needs to raise revenue for the salaries of full-time staff.

Children with a wide range of disabilities, both physical and learning, are able to access a program that fits their needs.

As the only multilingual, multicultural and multiracial center in the Kingdom, staff try to provide an educational program that is both comfortable for children and has a significant element of fun incorporated in the teaching.

The centre also hopes to generate awareness of special needs children in the Kingdom.