'Anti-Corruption'... Starts in Schools

Minister of Education Jalal Al-Tabtabaee emphasized the importance of strengthening financial literacy and instilling values of integrity and responsibility among students, noting that education extends beyond imparting knowledge to shaping learners’ personalities, raising their awareness, and embedding values that enable them to make sound choices and take responsible decisions regarding themselves, their communities, and their country. Al-Tabtabaee explained in a speech delivered during a ceremony honoring 103 schools participating in the “Banki” program that the Ministry has been keen to incorporate into the curricula, from primary through secondary levels, concepts such as safeguarding public property, rationalizing consumption, saving, and financial integrity, following a pedagogical progression that considers learners’ ages and evolves with them across educational stages.

For her part, Dr. Rana Al-Faris, Chairperson of the Public Authority for Combating Corruption (Nazaha), stated that building an honest society begins in childhood by instilling values, reinforcing positive ethical behavior, and enhancing social responsibility, adding that integrity is the first line of defense against corruption and mitigating its impacts. She clarified that the program exemplifies a distinguished model of partnership between the public and private sectors, integrating their efforts to serve society and build its capacities by investing in our children, who represent the nation’s true wealth and the foundation of its future. Al-Faris noted that the program’s success has led to the renewal of the partnership for the next five years, thereby supporting the program’s sustainability and strengthening its role in instilling integrity values and developing financial literacy among primary school students, while underscoring the importance of continuing to invest in programs that combine education, values, and practical application.