Saudi minister denies wife’s role in education affairs
Riyadh: Saudi Education Minister Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah Bin Mohammad Al Saud denied that his wife, Princess Adela Bint Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, daughter of the Saudi monarch, has a role in his ministry’s affairs.
“Princess Adela manages the affairs of my house and, as for the ministry, it is managed from within and there are great women in the ministry; on top of them is Norah Al Fayez,” Prince Faisal said referring to his deputy while speaking at the Saudi Journalists Association in Riyadh on Saturday evening.
Al Fayez created a stir when she was appointed in February 2009 as the first Saudi woman in a ministerial post. She was appointed by a royal decree as deputy education minister, a step many observers viewed as coherent with King Abdullah’s reform policy.
Saudi education policy came under fire following the 9/11 attacks when school textbooks were accused of preaching intolerance and promoting extremism and violence.
Prince Faisal said his ministry is reviewing and improving school curricula every year. He explained that the ministry is currently working on three strategic projects which will reflect in changes in textbooks ranging from the first grade to the twelfth grade.
Asked about the ministry’s website, which was hacked twice in less than 24 hours last month, he said that a new website, to be launched within weeks, would boast improved security features.He admitted that the ministry was trying to optimise utilisation of funds given that over 43 per cent of schools in the country had fewer than 100 students. He added that the ministry was planning to restructure its departments and reduce their number to 13 from the existing 83.
