Minister of Education: Last Academic Year Was an Exceptional Experience in the Journey of Education

Education Minister Eng. Sayed Jalal Al-Tabtabaee reaffirmed Kuwait’s commitment to continuing the construction and development of a more flexible, advanced, and sustainable educational system in line with international standards.

This statement was made during his remarks at the “Government Leadership and Youth Innovation” session, held as part of the “Transforming Education” Summit convened at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris. Minister Al-Tabtabaee noted that Kuwait’s educational experience in the past academic year was exceptional, demonstrating the system’s capacity to ensure continuity of learning despite the emergency conditions faced by the country and the region.

He pointed out that the aforementioned year represented an exceptional experience in the trajectory of education, as regional circumstances necessitated swift decisions to safeguard students’ well-being, maintain the continuity of the educational process, and transition the entire educational system to remote learning across all school levels.

He clarified that during this period, more than half a million students continued their education remotely, with attendance rates exceeding 85%. Mechanisms for teaching, monitoring, and assessment were organized and enhanced, while the Ministry also ensured the provision and delivery of textbooks to students to guarantee their safety, sustain the educational process, and promote equal opportunities.

For further details: Participation in the “Transforming Education+4” Summit reaffirmed Kuwait’s commitment to developing a more flexible and sustainable educational system. The Education Minister stated that the 2025–2026 academic year constituted an exceptional experience in Kuwait’s educational journey.

Minister of Education Eng. Sayed Jalal Al-Tabtabaee participated in the proceedings of the “Transforming Education+4” Summit, which focused on systemic transformation and resilience to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4. This high-level ministerial event brought together ministers of education and senior international officials, including UNESCO Director-General Ahmed Al-Lawati, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, and President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, aiming to strengthen international cooperation to develop education and accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Minister Al-Tabtabaee also took part in the session on “Government Leadership and Youth Innovation,” alongside the education ministers of Georgia, Montenegro, and San Marino, as well as youth and international leaders from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). The session discussed the role of government leadership, youth participation, and innovation in driving the education transformation agenda.

In his address during the session, Minister Al-Tabtabaee emphasized that Kuwait views this summit as a crucial milestone for transitioning from commitments to implementation, reviewing achieved accomplishments, exchanging experiences, and setting priorities for the period up to 2030 and beyond. This approach aims to bolster international efforts to build education systems that are more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable.

At the outset of his speech, the Minister conveyed greetings from His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, and the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to the summit participants. He expressed Kuwait’s wishes for the success of the event and commended UNESCO’s efforts in leading international dialogue on the future of education and enhancing cooperation among nations.

Minister Al-Tabtabaee noted that the world is facing rapid transformations and interconnected challenges that necessitate reevaluating the capacity of education systems to adapt and endure. He explained that Kuwait has translated its commitment to achieving SDG 4 into concrete measures focused on education quality, equitable access, and strengthening the resilience and responsiveness of the education system to changes.

He pointed out that the 2025-2026 academic year represented an exceptional experience in Kuwait’s educational journey. Emergency regional circumstances necessitated swift decisions to ensure student safety and the continuity of education. The education system shifted to remote learning across all stages, enabling over half a million students to continue their educational journey through the digital system, with attendance rates exceeding 85%.

The Minister added that the Ministry of Education did not limit itself to providing e-learning; rather, it implemented a comprehensive educational response. This included reorganizing the school day, developing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, enhancing technical and psychological support, and providing textbooks and educational resources electronically. Additionally, a phased mechanism was implemented to deliver textbooks to the homes of primary and intermediate school students in government schools, supported by an electronic tracking system for deliveries. This resulted in delivering books to approximately 175,000 students and distributing nearly 700,000 textbooks, underscoring the state’s commitment to the principle of equal opportunity and ensuring all students have access to learning tools.

The Minister further affirmed that digital transformation has become a cornerstone in developing Kuwait’s education system. He clarified that the Ministry established and launched more than 27 electronic platforms and services, including AI-supported educational resources, digital services for students and parents, and professional and administrative services for teaching and administrative staff. Notable among these is the Electronic Transport Platform, utilized by over 106,000 teachers, and an intelligent chat service linked to the curriculum, which facilitates access to knowledge, enhances performance efficiency, and improves the quality of educational services.

Minister Al-Tabtabaee stressed that teachers are the core of the educational transformation process. He noted that the Ministry continued professional training and development programs despite exceptional circumstances, delivering remote training to approximately 2,350 teachers, department heads, and educational supervisors. Concurrently, work is underway to create an integrated digital system for managing professional development, covering the identification of training needs, nomination, accreditation, implementation, and evaluation.

The Minister also presented Kuwait’s national project to harness AI in education, implemented in collaboration with Google. The project aims to train qualified instructors as part of a plan to develop the capacities of approximately 40,000 teachers over two academic years. He emphasized that technology serves as a tool to empower teachers and enhance their role, not to replace them.

He explained that alongside managing exceptional circumstances, Kuwait has continued implementing long-term reform pathways. This includes the gradual development of national curricula from kindergarten through secondary education, aligned with global standards and 21st-century skills, while reinforcing national identity, critical thinking, digital awareness, and keeping pace with rapid developments in AI.

Minister Al-Tabtabaee indicated that the Ministry has also begun developing a unified education regulation under a comprehensive vision for organizing educational work. The initial draft was made available to educational professionals for feedback and suggestions prior to its approval. Furthermore, the inspection and auditing system has been strengthened through a specialized office dedicated to reviewing procedures and operational mechanisms, thereby supporting governance and enhancing institutional performance efficiency.