Riyadh: Saudi Arabia has decided to start teaching English from grade 4 effective from the next school year.
"English language shall be taught at both boys and girls public schools from the fourth grade effective in the coming new 2011-2012 school year," said a decision adopted by the Saudi Cabinet during its weekly meeting on Monday. The meeting was chaired by King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz.
The decision asked the Ministry of Education to make arrangements including making available trained English language teachers. Moreover, the cabinet authorised the Ministry to study the possibility of teaching the language in earlier grades.
The debate on whether to teach English language at the public primary schools has been running for years. Some religious hard-liners have opposed teaching foreign languages at the primary level fearing that it might negatively affect students' capabilities in Arabic language and Islamic studies.
Advocates of teaching English early on say that the language plays a vital role in preparing the younger generation for the workforce, which is dominated by English-speaking expatriates.
Before 2004, teaching English in Saudi government schools began at the seventh grade, which is the first level at intermediate schools. In 2003, the Saudi Cabinet took a decision making English compulsory from grade 6. The decision became effective during the 2004-2005 school year. Private schools teach English from grade one.
