Microsoft Arabia trains over six thousand Saudi teachers in computer skills

This is part of a four-year training program which the company is executing in close liaison with the Ministry and includes training 30,000 male and female teachers. Microsoft also revealed that it completed, as part of the same program, qualifying 150 Information Technology Supervisors to acquire Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) certifications.

Microsoft Arabia General Manager, Dr. Khalid Al-Dhaher, stated: "Microsoft is committed to building on its strategic relationship with the Saudi Ministry of Education to further co-operation at all levels."

Dr. Al-Dhaher explained that Microsoft is currently implementing many projects under the "Partners in Learning" initiative, aiming at fully utilizing information technology in education. Among these are pilot projects for the Microsoft Learning Gateway, which was finished in 25 schools in Almadinah Almunawwarah. Microsoft also provided the Ministry with localized digital curriculum for school grades from 4 to 12, which can be fully integrated with Microsoft Class Server. These were delivered to the Ministry together with learning units, virtual laboratories and other learning media. They are now being updated to match the new curriculum. "We also supported the Ministry's initiative to collect all of its data and information for use through the unified Data Center," Al-Dhaher concluded.

Dr. Munir Al-Humaid, General Director of the Computer & Information Center at the Ministry and Head of the Joint Understanding Committee comprising the Ministry and Microsoft, commended the company's commitment to their joint agreement and the completion of what has been agreed by both parties so far in areas of training, technical consulting, free licensing, e-Learning, providing digital curriculum as per international standards, and honouring distinguished teachers.

"Officials at the Ministry look forward to more contributions from the private sector that will boost education and improve teaching and learning," Dr. Al-Humaid commented.

Unlike previous years, high school students were recently able to follow up the results of their examinations on the Internet, thanks to advanced Microsoft technology which was deployed extensively by the Ministry. Similar technology was also utilized to process teacher transfer operations Kingdom-wide.

Meanwhile, Microsoft Arabia organized last April the First Innovative Teachers' Forum for the Arab World in Sharjah at the United Arab Emirates. Patronized by HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, the forum was held in cooperation with the University of Sharjah and brought together more than 100 teachers from around the Arab world. The participants shared presentations on the role of innovation, creativity and e-Learning in education. Educational experts and creativity specialists lead workshops on the subject. At the end of the event, Microsoft honoured ten of the most innovative Arab teachers of whom Mohammed Al-Kathiri, a Saudi elementary school teacher from the city of Tabuk, was rewarded for his project which provided an interactive program that describes lifecycle for third grade students.