Abdullah Obaidallah Al-Ghamdi Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – English language classes for 4th grade public school students will be formalized within two years and rolled out to all of the Kingdom's schools, said Naif Al-Roumi, Undersecretary for Development and Planning at the Ministry of Education. Previously, students began learning English language in the 5th grade, however, after much criticism, the ministry launched a pilot program to introduce English language classes a year earlier. A total of 4,182 boys and girls in schools all over the Kingdom took part in the pilot program this past academic year. Al-Roumi said the program had been a success and categorically denied that the ministry had shelved plans to introduce English language classes to 4th graders. “The new language curriculum will be implemented in all primary schools Kingdomwide in the 2013-2014 academic year. A comprehensive project for the development of schools' curricula in mathematics and science will be circulated in the upcoming 2012-2013 academic year,” he said.
