Faiza Akhdar, Director of Comprehensive Educational Evaluation at the Ministry of Education, has said she expects physical education to be introduced into the curriculum at girls' schools throughout the Kingdom soon. “There is nothing to prevent the ministry from introducing P.E. classes in girls schools and including it in the school syllabus,” Akhdar said, noting an “increase in obesity in schoolgirls and its harmful effects on society and health”. “I personally believe that physical education is very important for both girls and boys. Our religion encourages us to engage our children in physical activities as the Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) says: ‘Teach your children swimming, javelin throwing and horsemanship',” Akhdar said. The Prophet's Hadith is applicable across the board, she said, and does not specify gender. “We have evidence in Islam that the Prophet (pbuh) and his wife Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) used to have running races in Madina. This shows that there is nothing stopping women from exercising as long they abide by Islamic teachings. Schoolgirls can exercise at school and in closed-door sports clubs where their privacy is preserved.” Akhdar said that educational evaluation measures would be applied to “all educational areas in the Kingdom and the ministry's different sectors, not only to schools as many people think”. “We are currently working on a package of criteria in conjunction with experts in the private sector to make sure that educational evaluation is carried out on a sound scientific basis,” she said. Akhdar added that a neutral external committee of comprehensive educational evaluation experts would be set up soon to independently monitor and report on education in the Kingdom. “The importance of the educational evaluation lies in the fact that it gives the authorities in charge a genuine picture of the quality of education, particularly in the three stages of general education, enabling them to address any failings,” Akhdar said. “The process is part of the King's general reform plan to upgrade the standard of education to match academic standards in advanced countries.” Evaluation is usually carried out in the middle of the academic year when schools address shortcomings, enabling staff to make considered judgments. “The ministry attaches great importance to the process,” Akhdar said, “because it will make possible the correction of failings and defects in the educational process and produce qualities capable of contributing to the country's progress.”
