Deputy Minister of Education: Study to Integrate Environmental Concepts on Recycling into Curricula to Be Announced Soon

Darin Al-Ali

Khalid Al-Rashid, Deputy Minister of Education, confirmed that the Ministry has a study that will be announced soon to incorporate certain chapters into the school curricula regarding recycling concepts and the management of plastic waste.

Al-Rashid explained in a statement to journalists on the sidelines of the opening of the fourth edition of the “Amani Madrasatak” (Amani Your School) competition, held under the patronage of the Ministry of Education and the supervision of the Public Authority for the Environment, that the efforts undertaken by Amani Company represent a tremendous and distinctive achievement. He emphasized that the primary objective of such competitions is to enhance students’ environmental awareness and convey effective information that teaches them how to sort plastic waste and recycle it.

He noted that the Ministry of Education participated last year with a large number of schools, approaching 156, and expressed hope for broader and doubled participation this year. He praised the cooperation among all parties in this exhibition, which will last for three days.

Al-Rashid stressed the Ministry of Education’s support for such competitions to strengthen student awareness and embed recycling concepts, commending the technological aspects present in the exhibition, which encourage students in this regard.

For her part, Sheikha Al-Abdullah, the official spokesperson for the Public Authority for the Environment and Director of the Public Relations and Media Department, stated that for the second consecutive year, under the patronage of the Ministry of Education and the supervision of the Public Authority for the Environment, the fourth edition of the “Amani Madrasatak” competition is launching. She noted that the previous edition received a significant response, collecting more than 264 tons of waste over six weeks, which was recycled by companies accredited by the Authority, thereby contributing to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

She highlighted the effort to increase the number of participants, expressing hope for achieving zero plastic use in Kuwait. She considered the ultimate goal to be instilling environmental concepts and sustainability in students so that they become permanent behaviors.

She praised the continuous cooperation with the Ministry of Education, noting the existence of a joint committee with the Ministry to discuss environmental educational matters, and expressed hope for incorporating these concepts into the curricula.

She clarified that sorting plastic at the source helps alleviate the burden on landfills, pointing out that the names of the winning schools in this competition will be announced after six weeks.

In turn, Sanaa Al-Ghamlas, Chief Executive Officer of Amani Company, stated that the company is holding this initiative for the fourth consecutive year, with 23 sponsors from government entities and the private sector participating.

She noted that the initiative aims this year to attract the largest possible number of schools, reaching up to 200. She pointed out that the number of participating schools is increasing annually, having started with 48 schools and reaching 156 last year. She indicated that the company’s vision, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, is to make participation mandatory for all schools under the Ministry, given its impact on raising students’ environmental awareness.

She added that the “Amani Madrasatak” competition aims to educate students on sorting waste at the source, particularly plastic waste, as the goal of sorting is to prevent plastic waste from reaching landfills, thereby avoiding the production of toxic gases that affect groundwater.

Regarding whether there is a law mandating source segregation, Al-Ghamlas stated that some provisions of the environmental law refer to this matter. She also noted that the cleanliness regulations issued in 2023 by the Municipal Council also stipulate the necessity of source segregation, making Kuwait the first country in the Gulf to mandate source segregation in its cleanliness regulations. She pointed out that what is lacking is the activation of what already exists.

Regarding plastic waste production in Kuwait, she noted that there is no precise annual figure, but the latest figures circulating on this matter indicate that an individual in Kuwait produces 1.7 kilograms of plastic waste daily.