JEDDAH — A Saudi academic was honored by Friends of World Federation of United Nations Association (WFUNA) for her breakthrough research in preschool and kindergarten education, Al-Madinah reported.
Manal Subhi, professor of education at Taif University, published a research paper on the usage of technology in enhancing the learning experience for children in kindergartens in Saudi Arabia.
“My research and recognition is proof that the Kingdom cares about the education of children even before they enroll in primary school. Children are highly intelligent beings and we must acknowledge that technology is a norm to their day and age,” said Subhi.
She added technology has an important role in educating children today. “We need to teach them to learn from the devices they use in their daily lives. The educational system need to catch up with the technology the toddlers of today use. We must remember, they are the future of our nation and we need to guide them in their environment,” said Subhi.
She said the Arab and Islamic world needed to learn from one another and adapt any advancement achieved by one country or the other.
“In Saudi Arabia, we faced the challenge of children being taught using impractical methods and traditional and mundane teaching techniques. The mothers saw the ineffectiveness of the system and pushed for schools to integrate e-learning and technology,” said Subhi.
She said taking the challenge presented itself as a moral challenge. “We couldn't find enough teaching and learning resources supporting Islamic morals. My research can be taken and adapted by any education ministry in the Islamic world. We should all work together to provide the future generation with a moral and balanced upbringing they deserve,” said Subhi.
