QUNFUDA: The Ministry of Education will launch a SR1 billion project to upgrade the mathematics and science syllabi in the Kingdom's schools, Al-Watan newspaper reported yesterday.
"As part of the project starting next academic year new syllabi will be introduced in the first and fourth standards of primary schools and the first standard of intermediary schools. Secondary schools will get the new syllabus a year later," said Muhammad Asiri, secretary-general of the project.
Asiri was speaking at a meeting of teachers and other Education Depart- ment officials in Qunfuda. More than 400 maths and science teachers, including women, participated in the meeting.
"The Ministry of Education is making preparations to implement the project after it got the approval from higher authorities in 2004. As an initial step, the ministry undertook a feasibility study," he said.
"Science and mathematics have been earmarked in the project because these are considered the most important subjects in modern education. The new syllabi have been prepared in a way that they incorporate the most modern findings in scientific research," he added. The new syllabi, which do not suit the traditional curriculum currently followed in schools, have been provided to all education administrations in the Kingdom, he said.
Asiri added that in order to implement the project, a large number of teachers and education inspectors have been trained in modern teaching techniques. "Currently 545 education supervisors are undergoing training in the new teaching style while 4,000 teachers have already been trained," he said, adding that the syllabi are available on CDs and on the Internet. The project will be completed in three years.
Abdul Rahman Al-Zahimi, science supervisor in Qunfuda, said, "The Education Department in Qunfuda is making preparations for the implementation of the new project in advance so that it can be implemented in schools when the new academic year starts." He added that schoolteachers would be given proper training to teach the new topics.
© Arab News 2009
