RIYADH, 15 January 2008 — A major educational breakthrough has been achieved in the American-run University Preparatory Program (UPP) operating from the Diplomatic Quarter here. The focus of this effort, something that Saudi schools have so far not effectively tackled, is an issue that the UNDP's Human Development Report has called attention to from time to time.

" It's a complete overhaul of the educational system to which Saudi society has been accustomed all these decades," Ibrahim Al-Shalan, a pre-medical student at UPP, told Arab News.

The UPP prepares students for admission to Alfaisal University, which is due to open in Riyadh in fall 2008.

Al-Shalan was one of a group of seven Saudi students, who spoke about the sweeping changes that they encountered in a switchover from the traditional system of education in Saudi schools to the American system, which focuses on fostering a spirit of research and inquiry among students.

Surprisingly, this aspect has not been dealt with in the current debate on educational reforms in the Kingdom.

These Saudi students feel that the National Dialogue on educational reforms should recognize the importance of teaching English at elementary schools to prepare Saudi students for admission at high-caliber educational institutions. This is an issue that the Education Ministry is trying to address in coordination with the British Council.

Referring to the method followed at UPP, Ahmed Talal Al-Shamshi, who previously studied at Al-Khaleej School in Riyadh, said, "The teaching style at UPP is completely different from the one followed in traditional Saudi schools. There is no dictation of notes by teachers or memorization, which is a common feature of the Saudi educational set-up. Here, we have to prepare our own notes after doing a lot of reading. Our teacher only gives a broad outline of the books that we should read."

He added that teachers are different and the whole thrust of their approach is to stimulate students' thinking capacity.

Nasser Ahmed, a student from Al-Uloom Al-Shariah, said to be one of the best government schools in Madinah, praised the state-of-the-art facilities at UPP. "Unlike the Arab educational system, which is more theoretical in its approach, the American system is practical-oriented. This places the students on a stronger foundation," he said.

An important aspect of the UPP curriculum is the twinning of English with technical subjects. This helps students improve their communication skills.

Fadel Al-Abbad said he had plans to go abroad for higher education and dropped the idea after going through the UPP syllabus and coming to know of the caliber of staff. Referring to the research-oriented approach of the academic program, Ammar Awwad, a pre-medical student, explained how he wrote an assignment on patient care.

Speaking of the program's syllabus, Abdullah Al-Shammary, a former student from Riyadh Al-Saleheen, said that the medicine syllabus is based on the Harvard curriculum, while the engineering syllabus is modeled on that of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

" UPP is better than any other university in the Middle East. The students have the benefit of receiving guidance from their American teachers drawn from Harvard University, MIT and other eminent universities in the US and Canada," he said, adding that the UPP ensures that only dedicated students qualify for admission.

The students said a distinctive hallmark of the UPP's educational setup was the stress on homework. The criterion for admission is also high. "Here merit alone counts, not influence," Nasser added.

Besides developing their writing skills, the program also pays attention to students' listening skills and the art of jotting down the main points of a lecture for further reading and how to anticipate a lecturer's train of thought, observed Steve Armand, chairman of the Department of Math and Science.

Mark Johnstone, chairman of the English Department, and Steve Armand pointed out that students are grouped together according to their scholastic abilities. This is done to meet their individual needs.

Johnstone said students are highly motivated in their studies and show a willingness to learn. In this context, David Dowse of the English Faculty explained how he inspires students by recounting his own family background and the hardships he had to endure during his childhood.

" My father, who came up the hard way during the Depression in the United States, taught me the importance of work ethic. I learned some valuable lessons in my life which I pass on to my students here," he said.