Experience of teaching mathematics at the technical trainers college (TTC) in Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has embarked on a major education initiative, and is currently setting up several Colleges of Excellence (CoE) to provide world class vocational training in the country. These colleges will be run by international education providers, and the objective is to raise the bar in technical education across the country, and to provide graduates every opportunity to obtain high quality jobs and to build a successful future. The Technical Trainers College is an important part of the CoE, and it plays an essential role in preparing young Saudis to become teachers at third level vocational colleges in the Kingdom. It is run by the German Agency for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH). GIZ is active in development projects around the world, and it has been involved in projects in Saudi Arabia since the 1960s. It is currently managing a technical college in Yanbu as well as the TTC in Riyadh. This paper discusses the challenges of teaching mathematics at the TTC in Saudi Arabia, and the problems that need to be overcome to enable students to attain a reasonable level of competence in the discipline.