Ministry of Education: 949 schools maintained before the start of classes
Faisal Matar: The Ministry of Education continues to implement its comprehensive plan to enhance the readiness of government schools in preparation for the 2026/2027 academic year. This initiative involves monitoring maintenance and rehabilitation works across various educational districts, ensuring the provision of a safe and stimulating learning environment for educational and administrative staff and students upon the commencement of the new academic year. This effort aligns with the directives of Minister of Education Jalal Al-Tabatabai, aimed at elevating the quality of the school environment and strengthening the efficiency of educational infrastructure.
Mohammed Al-Khalidi, Assistant Undersecretary for Administrative, Financial, and Technical Affairs, held an extensive meeting on the Ministry’s premises with the engineering teams tasked with monitoring preparations for the new academic year. The meeting reviewed the progress of maintenance works in government schools, assessed completion rates, and discussed key observations, challenges, and mitigation strategies. These measures aim to ensure adherence to the approved timeline and the completion of all works before the start of the academic year.
The meeting also highlighted the efforts of the General Administration of Educational Facilities and Projects, which has formed ten specialized engineering teams to supervise maintenance works and monitor their implementation in the 949 government schools. This structure enhances field supervision efficiency and ensures that works are executed according to the highest quality standards.
Regarding school readiness, the meeting noted that approximately 100 engineers continue to provide field supervision over civil and electrical maintenance, as well as air conditioning system repairs. Each engineer oversees an average of ten schools. The timeline targets the completion of all works by the end of August, with maintenance contracts continuing across all educational districts to ensure rapid response to reports and maintain the readiness of educational facilities.
Furthermore, the meeting reviewed the Ministry’s utilization of the digital “Balagh” program to monitor reports and maintenance works. This tool contributes to enhancing execution speed and monitoring accuracy, alongside providing performance indicators and dedicated monitoring dashboards for leadership to display completion rates and ongoing works. This supports decision-making and improves overall performance efficiency.
Emphasizing that preparations for the new academic year represent a national responsibility requiring integrated efforts and continuous coordination among all relevant entities, Assistant Undersecretary Mohammed Al-Khalidi stressed the importance of periodic monitoring, identifying and addressing challenges promptly, and continuously tracking completion indicators. These steps are essential to ensure works are executed according to specified schedules and to prepare a safe and stimulating learning environment.
Al-Khalidi added that the Ministry is keen on intensifying field visits and strengthening oversight of maintenance implementation to ensure compliance with approved technical specifications. This aims to achieve the highest levels of readiness before the academic year begins and to ensure the sustained efficiency of educational facilities across all districts. He clarified that field monitoring will continue at an intensive pace in the coming period, with periodic evaluation of completion rates and immediate handling of any emerging observations. This ensures the completion of all works according to the approved timeline, reflecting the Ministry’s commitment to providing a comprehensive school environment that supports the quality of the educational process from the first day of the academic year.
Al-Khalidi called for continued coordination among work teams and enhanced field monitoring, insisting on the implementation of maintenance works according to approved plans and schedules. This approach aims to achieve the highest standards of quality and efficiency in execution. He emphasized that the upcoming phase requires doubling efforts and accelerating the pace of completion to ensure all schools are ready on time, while continuing to provide technical and engineering support to guarantee the efficiency and sustainability of educational facilities.
**Maintenance Plan Figures:**
* 949 government schools included in maintenance works
* 10 engineering teams for supervision and monitoring
* 100 engineers overseeing field operations
* Average workload: 10 schools per engineer
* **Readiness Plan:**
* Completion of maintenance works by the end of August
* Continuation of maintenance contracts in all educational districts
* Utilization of the “Balagh” program to monitor reports
* Digital screens displaying completion rates and performance indicators
