Saudi Arabia makes 120,000 changes to textbooks

Abu Dhabi: Saudi Minister of Education, Dr. Hamad Al Sheikh, said 120,000 changes have been made to 89 textbooks in the newly-developed Saudi educational curriculum.

He was speaking during the periodic briefing held in Riyadh on Thursday.

Preparations were in full swing in the Kingdom for an exceptional academic year after the return of face-to-face learning, ending nearly a year and a half of interruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new academic year, which begins on August 29, will feature a new curricula, three-semester study plans, the implementation of the common first year of secondary school, and a 40 per cent increase in female teachers teaching young boys.

It is expected that the next academic year will see face-to-face learning in universities, applied colleges, technical training, intermediate and secondary levels for those who received two COVID-19 vaccine doses, while primary and kindergarten pupils will continue to study remotely through ‘My school’ and ‘My kindergarten’ platforms, until their return to in-person learning at the end of October.

Minister of Information, Dr. Majid Al Qasabi said Saudi Arabia had made “great strides in confronting the coronavirus pandemic at all levels.”

He added that “more than 11 million people received two doses, and 21 million were vaccinated with one dose,” calling on all citizens and residents to come forward, and complete the two-dose vaccine regimen.

About 93 per cent of students in the secondary and intermediate stages received one vaccine dose, while 37 per cent were fully vaccinated.