MAKKAH – The Department of Education in Makkah has implemented Ministry of Education's "Early Childhood" program in various schools in the region. A number of principals and teachers of the early childhood schools claimed that the experiment has had a resounding success in its first phase itself. They are united in their opinion that the program has a tremendous impact on boosting psychological and educational stability of students in the early years of their school education. Amira Samran Al-Lohaibi, principal of Zubaida Bint Jafar Elementary School, said that the program is a pioneering one in achieving the desired educational goal by making available advanced education to the younger generation in developing their talent and character building, as well as to strengthen the role of the teacher in raising the new generation in an ideal way. Salima Huseini Al-Salimi, principal of Melh Elementary School, said that the launch of the project is a pioneering step to improve the quality of education, keeping pace with the Kingdom's Vision 2030. Nourah Rabie Al-Otaibi, principal of Haradh Elementary School, praised the government's keenness to develop the standard of public schools to cope with the finest international institutions. "The initiative for the integration of schools is necessary to create a suitable and attractive educational environment where supervisors and teachers can contribute in overcoming many difficulties faced by the younger generation." Amira Shallah Al-Barakati, a students' guide, said that this program is a successful experiment as it gives female teachers an opportunity to extend a caring hand as if of a mother in view of the fact that at this stage a child needs family atmosphere to master many basic skills, as well as to achieve crucial psychological and social adjustment. Manal Al-Hazmi, principal of Umm Ayman Elementary School, expressed optimism and happiness over the implementation of the program as it focuses on the early years of the life of a human being and subsequently its impact extends throughout ones life. "These are the most vital stages of a child's personality development in a short and intensive period of learning," she said. Basma Takrouni, principal of the 41 Elementary School, stressed that the child at this stage needs to be given an impression that the teacher is like a mother to her. "We held a number of meetings with mothers during which we informed them that the integration is only in buildings, not in the classrooms." Under this long-awaited educational project, classes are assigned to qualified women teachers so as to achieve fast and easy psychological and educational integration for both boy and girl students in the second and third levels of kindergarten, and the first, second and third grades of elementary school. These women, who are specialized teachers and trainers in the field of early childhood education, are working in schools that are under 100 percent female administration. The ministry has started implementing this program with the aim of achieving goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. Within a short span of time, the ministry has been successful in designating special buildings and arranging necessary facilities in kindergartens and primary grades along with making available service staff to meet the needs of the children. The ministry has also made available fully furnished classrooms with all amenities in separate buildings while launching the first phase of the ambitious program. The ministry will expand this new project to cities and villages in all regions of the Kingdom during the next phase.
