Saudi school replaces textbooks with iPads

Sultan Bin Salman Elementary School has told students to come into school with only their iPads after digitizing all their textbooks and making them available as soft copies, Al-Hayat reported.

Yousef Al-Hazmi, a teacher at the school, said he proposed the idea to the school management and they agreed to implement it after obtaining permission from Jeddah Education Directorate and parents of the students.

He said: “Using advanced technology in education is a characteristic of a developed country.

“We always aim to rival international standards. The use of technology in education has become a necessity. Many children suffer from neck and back pains from carrying heavy backpacks filled with books double their weight.”

He added these pains could develop into skeletal deformations that may prove fatal in the long run.

“The children have been very welcoming to the idea. They can even do their homework on their iPads. The idea is not only implemented in Sultan Bin Salman but also in a number of other schools in Jeddah after obtaining parental consent.”

He added his idea was chosen among the top seven ideas for education in Jeddah and he received a plaque of appreciation from the directorate.

This article was first published in the Saudi Gazette on May 18, 2015.