This was the right decision even though we have spent a long time discussing the merits and demerits of teaching the language over the past several years. Many have expressed their concern that teaching English would cause an identity crisis for our students and affect their affection toward their mother tongue and culture.

In my opinion these worries are out of place. Our new digital generation is already dealing with this language through the Internet. English is the first language for communication in the world in terms of reading, publishing and innovation.

Now the question is whether the Ministry of Education is ready to implement the new Cabinet decision and whether all primary schools in the Kingdom will start teaching English in the next academic year. Have they prepared the textbooks? If so, when will they be approved? How are they going to supply an adequate number of English-language teachers?

I hope the ministry has learned from its past mistakes when it appointed graduates to teach at kindergartens without looking at their qualifications or specializations. Priority must be given to those graduates that are specialized in the language instead of those specialized in translation. I hope the ministry takes necessary measures to teach this important language properly.

I was surprised to hear the statement of the education minister that there is a big shortage in English language teachers. Instead of making such a statement, the minister should have taken proactive steps by appointing an adequate number of English-language teachers. Of course, this will be difficult given the bureaucratic procedures at our government departments.

I am sure the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Civil Service can solve this problem by establishing better coordination and appointing English-language graduates to teach at primary schools. Qualified men might have found jobs in sectors other than teaching, but women are not always able to find jobs except teaching in private schools, and so many of them are jobless. I hope the Ministry of Education gives these women opportunities to work in primary schools to solve the English-teacher shortage.