BURAIDAH, 5 September 2007 — English teachers in the Qasim province are attending a three-day orientation program on the new English curriculum, which is to be taught to fourth grade pupils in Saudi schools.
The Ministry of Education has agreed to begin the project on an experimental basis at selected primary schools throughout the Kingdom. The program, which is to start on Saturday when the new academic year begins, may be fully introduced to subsequent primary stage classes in all Saudi schools.
Oxford University Press has prepared a new series of books called “Happy Street,” said Adel ibn Naser Al-Saawy, a representative from Al-Saawy Book Center, the local agent of OUP. “We are one of three establishments competing to win a contract to prepare curriculum materials of English for the primary stage in the Kingdom,” said Adel, adding that similar pilot projects are being run in Dammam and Jeddah.
“We will be sharing with teachers the latest English teaching methodologies such as the creative teaching of young learners and new technologies in language teaching as well as some tried and tested traditional approaches with young learners,” said Bill Bowler, a British trainer who will be providing training to male teachers.
His colleague Roberta Calderbank will be running an orientation program for the female teachers. Both Bowler and Calderbank were among authors of the “Happy Street” book series.
The three-day training will focus on practical hands-on methodology of teaching, Bowler said, adding that the trainees will be given opportunities to apply what they learn theoretically in a concrete way using “Happy Series “ material.
Bowler said that the trainers would like to hear from teachers about their particular educational concerns, needs and wishes, and the needs of their students as part of this initial training. He added that Oxford University Press is committed to publishing a special version of “Happy Street” specifically for Saudi Arabia.
“The more teachers can enlighten us about what the ideal English teaching course book for Saudi Arabian classrooms is, the better the Saudi Arabian edition of Happy Street will be when it is published,” he said.
Introducing English in Saudi primary schools has always been controversial with some preferring to introduce this subject as early as the first grade, while others believe that it is better to be introduced in the intermediate stage.
Five years ago, the Ministry of Education made a contract with Macmillan Publishing Company through its local agent to design a new book for the fourth elementary grade.
After the book was prepared and made available in stores, the entire project was brought to a halt when the Council of Ministers decided to scuttle the program.
Although the Cabinet decided to postpone the introduction of English in elementary schools, it later agreed to start teaching the language from the sixth elementary grade onward.
