Ministry of Education Boosts Readiness for the Academic Year: Maintenance, Air Conditioning, Furniture, and Teaching Staff Take Priority

Alaa Khalifa The Ministry of Education has entered the decisive phase of its preparations for the launch of the 2026/2027 academic year. The new school year will begin with the resumption of duties for educational advisors across various academic fields, advisors working in educational activities, and laboratory supervisors in educational districts. All staff in kindergartens and in primary, intermediate, and secondary schools will resume work on Sunday, September 6. Students in the first grade of primary school will start classes on Sunday, September 13, while students in the remaining grades of primary, intermediate, and secondary education will begin their studies on Monday, September 14.

Various sectors of the ministry are transitioning from the planning and preparation stage to the final implementation phase, addressing the last details preceding the welcome of students in schools, under the direct supervision of Minister of Education Eng. Sayed Jalal Al-Tabatabai.

A ministry source told Al-Anbaa that current efforts within the ministry are focused on a number of key files, starting with the readiness of school buildings, maintenance work, air conditioning, furniture, and equipment, as well as the staffing of both teaching and administrative personnel. In addition, preparations are underway for textbooks, laboratories, networks, devices, and the essential services that schools require before the start of the academic year.

As the academic year for teaching and administrative staff approaches, the Ministry is working to ensure there are no shortages in essential equipment, primarily focusing on comprehensive and periodic maintenance, as well as the upkeep of air conditioning units and refrigerators. This is complemented by the provision of school furniture and the completion of services related to cleanliness, security, catering, correspondence, transportation, and other operational services.

**Air Conditioning and Maintenance**

The file of maintenance and air conditioning holds particular importance during the current phase. The Ministry’s plan includes monitoring comprehensive and periodic maintenance, as well as the upkeep of air conditioning units and refrigerators, alongside securing the necessary requirements for air conditioning units, refrigerators, uniforms, and other supplies. The plan also involves monitoring new schools to ensure their technical readiness.

Furthermore, the plan addresses contracts nearing completion, follows up on extensions and change orders, and oversees procedures related to tenders and practices, all to guarantee that basic services in schools are not interrupted.

**Furniture and Equipment**

Concurrently, the Ministry is working to provide the necessary furniture and equipment for schools, including new ones, linking furniture preparation processes with the installation and operation of computers and technical systems.

The official preparedness plan indicates that school preparation also involves wired and wireless networks, internet devices, servers, fingerprint scanners, as well as the operation and testing of computers and their accessories, and ensuring the efficiency of the basic electronic networks and systems used in schools.

**School Textbooks**

Regarding school textbooks, relevant authorities continue to monitor printing, supply, and storage processes, in addition to verifying quantities upon their arrival at warehouses and approving distribution plans for curricula across various types of education.

The preparedness plan includes reviewing prescribed textbooks, following up on new books delivered to printing presses, receiving quantities, and verifying them. It also involves approving distribution plans for curricula in general and private education, religious education, adult literacy classes, and special education schools.

Preparations also include equipping laboratories, workshops, and halls in new schools, reflecting a shift in the concept of readiness from merely preparing classrooms to providing the complete requirements for the educational process.

**New Schools**

The Ministry is also identifying new schools scheduled to enter service during the 2026/2027 academic year and coordinating with relevant government entities regarding new school buildings.

Preparing a new school does not end with the completion of the building. The plan requires providing furniture, cleaning, security, and catering services, connecting internet and networks, operating computers and electronic systems, as well as equipping laboratories, workshops, and halls according to the school’s nature and educational stages.

The Ministry’s plan, which is being monitored by the Minister of Education, reflects a clear trend toward finalizing files before the start of the school year, which is expected to reduce operational problems.

The Ministry of Education is currently in the final days of its preparations for the new academic year, amidst widespread efforts aimed at ensuring that schools are ready and that students enter their classrooms on the first day without being hindered by files that were supposed to be resolved before the start of the school year.

The success of these preparations depends on the speed of closing remaining files, the accuracy of field follow-up, and the swift handling of any observations or needs that arise in the coming days, thereby ensuring a stable and organized launch for the 2026/2027 academic year.