Cairo: Over 7,000 female teachers at kindergartens in Saudi Arabia are participating in a music training course amid promotion of arts in the kingdom as part of dramatic changes.
The four-week course is being implemented under the strategy of developing cultural capabilities in a partnership between the Saudi ministries of culture and education under the Music Commission’s supervision.
The strategy aims, among other things, to discover talents at an early age and develop them in a way helping to boost competiveness between educational and cultural sectors.
The first phase of the qualifying course kicked off on Sunday with the participation of specialists at the kindergarten level.
Registration in the second phase of the same course will be announced later for would-be female teachers.
Marked transformations
The course aims to build kindergarten female teachers’ skills linked to children’s musical activities by acquainting them with related sound characteristics and terminology.
Last September, Saudi Arabia said music will be a subject taught as part of curricula in two years’ time, starting from the kindergarten level.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has seen marked socio-economic transformations as part of massive reforms espoused by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
In 2020, the Music Commission was established as a government agency affiliated to the Saudi Culture Ministry with the aim of overseeing development of a music sector that provides non-discriminatory access to music education, empowers musical talent and contributes to the local economy.
In 2016, Saudi Arabia announced the establishment of the General Entertainment Authority, a state agency that has since sponsored a series of star-studded concerts, stage shows and festivals.
In April 2018, Saudi Arabia reopened cinemas for the first time in nearly four decades.
