In May of this year a report by Freedom House on objectionable material in Saudi educational materials drew candid responses from leaders in the Kingdom. Foreign Minister Saud al Faisal, during a press conference with the US Secretary of State, said, "The education reforms in Saudi Arabia go beyond textbook rewriting. And they go into teacher training, directions.. ..And so the whole system of education is being transformed from top to bottom. Textbooks are only one of the steps that has been taken by Saudi Arabia."In early June Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to the United States, Prince Turki al Faisal, writing in a "USA Today" op-ed, said, "Saudi Arabia is a nation undergoing dramatic self-examination. Every aspect of Saudi Arabia's society and culture is being openly debated. We have recognized that a comprehensive, modern and open educational system -- with new and revised textbooks -- is fundamental to the growth and prosperity of our country. A thoughtful revision of this system is necessary, and indeed well underway."Today, for your consideration, SUSRIS would like to share additional comments on the subject of education reform by Jamal Khashoggi, former journalist and advisor to Prince Turki. He was interviewed by Fareed Zakaria for the excellent weekly foreign affairs show, "Foreign Exchange." The show aired on July 28, 2006 and can be viewed on-line (links below).