Even European countries that are deeply passionate about their local languages and cultures have realized the need to teach English to their children at primary schools.

Studies have also proved that learning English at an early age helps students grasp their mother tongue better, simultaneously enabling them to acquire remarkable proficiency in their second language.

Currently, 98 percent of Internet content is in English while other languages are relegated to a mere two percent. Besides, English is the language employed in most of the studies, research papers, details of inventions and innovations and represents the official language for the majority of institutes, universities and research centers.

The implementation of English teaching in primary school may also become a useful means for the younger generation to promulgate a deeper knowledge of the Islamic religion and culture in the world.

France and Germany are the most sensitive and proud nations about their languages. Despite that, they have realized the significance of achieving English fluency to succeed in the modern world and have introduced obligatory English classes in primary school.

Studies have proved that teaching children a second language at an early age does not affect their culture or thoughts. On the contrary, it expands the child’s capacity to grasp the mother tongue and culture.

Even studies conducted by our own universities have demonstrated that children who learn English at an early age are more likely to succeed academically, also with regard to Islamic and Arabic studies.

It has also been observed that Saudi children, who went to primary schools in English-speaking countries, obtain excellent marks in all subjects when they return to the Kingdom to complete their secondary schools. This has been found especially true of children of Saudi officials who work in English speaking countries.

Another encouraging factor is that none of the graduates from Saudi private schools, where English is taught from nursery, show any deficiency regarding their culture or attitudes. Parents have never complained about lack of religious sentiment or practice in their children. On the contrary, their demand for English classes in primary schools is increasing.

In consideration of the significance for our growing generation to be able to communicate with the outside world and benefit from the technological advancement of other countries, the minister of education should consider English teaching in primary schools as a national duty. The fear of exposing our children to other languages and cultures in order to prevent them from losing their faith in Islam is unjustified. Our culture and religion are strong enough to have a profound influence and impact on our children that no other culture can damage. On the contrary, encouraging cultural exchange by means of teaching English in schools may help spread the Islamic culture and heritage abroad and show the world all our achievements.

Therefore, being the most popular language in the world and a gateway to modern knowledge and progress, English should be considered an effective tool to help our younger generation succeed in the contemporary world. As already mentioned, there is no scientific evidence to prove that learning a second language at an early age would weaken the mother language of the child.

In a fast moving world, the disputes concerning the worthiness of learning English, brought about by some lazy skeptics on the basis of unfounded presumptions, might be counter-productive and lethal for our younger generation. I would thus recommend our minister of education to ponder all these considerations and take decisions based on scientifically established facts.