By Lulu Al-Hubaishi
IN 2012, I wrote an article on physical education that was published in Al-Madinah daily. In the article, I praised the decision by the Ministry of Education to introduce physical education in girls’ schools. I also talked about the importance of having qualified Saudi physical education teachers and why it was important for women to have physical education degrees. The article focused on how non-Saudi female trainers continue to control the jobs offered by women’s sports centers and gyms. It suggested that physical education colleges for women should be opened all over the Kingdom in order to prepare and qualify Saudi women to become physical education teachers at girls’ schools.
Almost a year later, I wrote another article on physical education diplomas for girls in which I focused on the dire need to hire Saudi female trainers who can carry out the jobs of physical education teachers when they become available. I emphasized how such diploma programs could help reduce the unemployment rate among women and create new job opportunities for them. I also talked about the importance of designing a contingency plan to ensure that Saudi women who trained to become physical education teachers could work in stimulating environments.
Recently, a group of female Shoura Council members made similar recommendations for opening physical education colleges for women. In their recommendations, the members called for qualifying Saudi women to run future sports centers and said such steps could help increase women’s participation in the national workforce by 22 percent. If put into practice, these recommendations could save our society from the dangers of obesity and diabetes and could promote exercise across all segments of society. It is hoped that the recommendations will be implemented soon. We hope that we will see women’s sports centers all over the country being run by qualified Saudi women.
