1,071 Students... Eyes on Gifted Schools
Faisal Matar: Minister of Education Jallal Al-Tabtabaee issued a decision regarding the commencement of the Gifted Schools system within the Ministry of Education, effective from the start of the 2026/2027 academic year. The system will initially be implemented at the intermediate stage, with plans to expand to the secondary stage in the coming years in accordance with the Ministry’s future strategy.
The decision stipulates that gifted schools will be designated as independent institutions established for this specific purpose, accepting applications from gifted students nominated by all educational districts in accordance with approved discovery and admission criteria. Implementation will begin with two government schools, one for boys and one for girls, to be designated for this purpose.
The decision outlines the competencies of the Gifted Office, assigning it the responsibility of managing and handling all technical and administrative affairs of the schools. The Office will hold the necessary authorities to supervise and monitor these schools, set admission conditions, and determine the number of accepted students in each school.
It further stipulates that the official curricula of the Ministry of Education for general education will be applied in gifted schools, supplemented by enrichment programs approved by the Gifted Office, without compromising the assessment and examination system adopted by the Ministry. The Office will also be responsible for approving academic plans and enrichment programs, monitoring and evaluating performance, coordinating with the Educational Affairs Sector regarding examinations and grade recording, and establishing the necessary conditions for attaching teaching and administrative staff to work in these schools, submitting them to the Minister of Education for approval.
The decision obligates all Ministry sectors to coordinate with the Gifted Office and provide the necessary infrastructure, facilities, financial appropriations, and staffing requirements to initiate official implementation. The Office will identify all requirements and submit them to the Minister of Education for approval.
In the context of attracting qualified personnel to work in gifted schools, the Ministry of Education, represented by the Gifted Office, announced the closure of the application window for transfers of teaching and administrative staff wishing to work in these schools during the 2026/2027 academic year, following the receipt of 542 electronic applications via the "Mawhub" platform. The Ministry emphasized that the high demand provides a broad base of candidates, enabling the selection of the most qualified personnel to work with gifted students, in line with the nature of work in these schools and their scientific and educational requirements.
The Ministry clarified that selection will be conducted according to approved criteria, which include priority for Kuwaiti candidates, holding a university degree in the required specialization, achieving an "Excellent" rating in the last two years, having at least two years of experience, with preference given to those with prior experience working with gifted students, outstanding activities in their field of specialization, and proficiency in using computers and their applications.
It was indicated that upcoming procedures will begin with sorting applications and studying and evaluating candidates' files through a specialized committee formed to select teaching and administrative cadres. This will be followed by an admission test to measure the candidate’s mastery of their specialization, and then a personal interview to verify their ability to handle the educational and psychological characteristics of gifted students, leading to the final selection among those who passed the selection stages. Applicants will be notified of the dates for each stage sequentially via the "Mawhub" platform.
The Ministry noted that the selected cadres will deliver scientific and applied enrichment programs prepared based on best global educational practices and under the supervision of specialists in gifted education. It explained that the philosophy behind these programs is based on horizontal enrichment aimed at expanding and deepening students' knowledge, linking academic disciplines, and enhancing integration among them. The enrichment programs are offered alongside the official curricula, not as a replacement, with the goal of providing a comprehensive educational environment that accommodates the abilities of gifted students and supports their scientific, applied, and creative skills.
The Ministry affirmed that the schools aim to discover and develop students' abilities and prepare a generation capable of creativity and innovation, contributing to the development process, in alignment with the objectives of the "New Kuwait 2035" vision.
In a related context, the Ministry announced that 1,071 students will proceed to take the giftedness discovery tests at the General Administration for Development and Growth building in the Jabriya area. The tests will be conducted in batches starting on Sunday, September 6, and continuing until September 13, 2026. Parents can view the schedules via the "Mawhub" platform or the "Sahl" application.
