News & Event

The Ministry of Education, represented by the Directorate-General of Curriculum Development organized a ceremony launching the interactive books project for the English language subject, under the patronage of HE Prof. Dr. Abdullah bin Khamis Ambosaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education, in the presence of Dr. Sana bint Salem Al Sinani, Assistant Director-General of the Directorate-General of Curriculum Development, Assistant Directors-General, Directors of Departments and their Assistants, at the Ministry’s General Diwan. The ceremony was held in Al Raya Hall at the Intercity Hotel in Al Khuwair.

The ceremony began with a recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, recited by student Al Khattab Al Hanai from Hazem bin Hammam Basic Education School. Them, Salem Al Kharousi, Director of the Humanities Curriculum Development Department, delivered the department’s speech, saying: “Amidst the rapid developments witnessed in our digital world, and based on our belief in the importance of keeping pace with these changes in the education sector, this ambitious project was launched as a unique initiative that coincided with the project to harmonize the English language curricula for the first and second cycles. From the beginning, under the generous guidance of our leadership, and during our fruitful discussions with our partners at Pearson, we were keen to translate our vision and aspirations into a tangible reality, combining educational authenticity with the latest interactive technologies.”

He added: "The project went through several meticulous stages, starting with preparation and planning, which was based on an in-depth analysis of the needs for developing English language curricula and the efficient integration of digital elements. We then moved on to the design and development phase, where the company designed easy-to-use, content-rich, interactive digital books, considering the feedback of specialists in the Foreign Languages ​​Department to ensure the desired educational goals were achieved. This phase culminated in the development of innovative interactive activities and self-tests aimed at enhancing students' understanding and encouraging them to engage in self-learning in an engaging and effective manner."

He continued: “To ensure the quality and effectiveness of these books, they underwent a comprehensive testing and evaluation phase. They were tested in a friendly manner on a sample of our distinguished students and teachers. The pilot version was presented to the esteemed English language trainers and supervisors during their training program in August 2024. Their valuable comments and constructive recommendations served as a beacon for us in making the necessary adjustments and improving the proposed activities. We, at the Directorate-General of Curriculum Development, affirm our continuous commitment to providing periodic updates to these digital books, listening to feedback from the educational field, and always striving to improve the content and learning experience. We also intent, in cooperation with our partners, to continue this journey to develop interactive books for the grades 7 and 8 in conjunction with the Cycle 2 Textbooks Adaptation Project.”

This was followed by an introductory presentation on the interactive books project for the English language subject, presented by Azza Al-Riyami, Head of the Foreign Languages ​​Curriculum Department. The presentation included the project’s objectives, implementation mechanism, and the role of the Foreign Languages ​​Department. A video clip was then shown introducing the content of the interactive books for the English language subject, and their components of activities, various interactive games, digital assessments, and audio and visual materials that make learning more interactive. This was followed by a dialogue segment presented by student Mohammed Al-Hajri from Hazem Bin Hammam School for Basic Education, and student Hiba Al-Rahbi from Safia Bint Al-Khattab School for Girls. The segment included students’ benefit from using interactive books in the classroom, their enjoyment of games and interactive educational activities, and their enthusiasm for learning through these books at home.

Then, a video clip was shown that included a group of opinions and real-life experiences, from a number of teachers, students, and parents, about the interactive books for the English language subject, addressing the ease of their use, their benefits, and their role in making learning more enjoyable and effective, inside and outside the classroom. Then, HE, the patronage of the ceremony launched the interactive books project for the English language for grades one to six. Then HE honored the technical committee members from the Foreign Languages ​​and Educational Technology departments, the participants in the ceremony, and the "government and international" schools that participated in filming the video clips and the images included in the interactive books.

HE the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education said: “The launch of the interactive books project for the English language subject comes as part of the Ministry’s efforts to develop the teaching of this subject. We started with the series from grade 1 to 6 in cooperation with the implementing company, and they were included with interactive materials that make students interact with the subject through creating dialogues, audio listening, and other things. This will help increase students’ achievement and their acquisition of the English language subject, its concepts, and skills. The Ministry is proceeding to complete the English language teaching series in grades 7 and 8, up to grade 12. This will be accompanied by interactive books that students can benefit from during their free time, or the teacher can use in the classroom. I extend my sincere thanks for all the efforts made by the Directorate-General for Curriculum Development in all academic subjects, and to the work team that works diligently and sincerely to develop the curricula.”