"School Train" Launches Today with First Grade Primary Shift

Faisal Matar – The Ministry of Education announced that the new academic year 2026–2027 will commence for students tomorrow (Sunday), September 13, 2026, with first-grade primary students attending classes only. Classes for students in the remaining grades of primary, intermediate, and secondary stages will begin on Monday, September 14, 2026, while kindergarten children will start their classes on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

The Ministry confirmed its full readiness to welcome students and launch the new academic year 2026–2027, ensuring that schools, teaching staff, and administrative personnel are prepared, and that an appropriate learning environment is provided for students. It emphasized completing all requirements related to the start of studies and ensuring a safe and stable educational environment that contributes to the continuity of the educational process and the achievement of its objectives from the first day.

The Ministry reported that the total number of students in government schools, private Arab schools, and religious education institutions amounts to 481,511 students, noting that this figure includes students across all educational stages and Arab educational systems welcoming students at the start of the new academic year.

The Ministry clarified that the total number of students in general education in government schools is 391,604, while the total number of students in private Arab “independent” schools is 86,762, and the number of students in religious education is 3,145, bringing the total number of students to 481,511.

In the context of continuing efforts to nurture gifted students and discover their abilities, the Ministry stated that the Gifted Students Office completed screening tests for approximately 1,000 students, with tests for another 70 students scheduled for next Sunday. This is part of the first phase of procedures for identifying gifted students.

The Ministry added that the Gifted Students Office has also completed the review and sorting of applications submitted by teaching staff members, and test and interview dates have been scheduled for them during the current week, as part of the approved procedures for selecting relevant personnel.

The Ministry confirmed its readiness to welcome students and instructed its relevant sectors to implement and monitor necessary measures to ensure school preparedness and the fulfillment of educational process requirements, thereby supporting an organized and stable launch of the new academic year.

Regarding textbooks, the Ministry clarified that the rate of receiving books from publishers and distributing them to schools has reached 97 percent, with 137 out of 141 textbooks received, as part of measures taken to provide the necessary textbooks for students at the start of the academic year.

The Ministry noted the completion of the transfer process for teaching staff and supervisory positions in schools, stating that work is currently underway to resolve submitted appeals, in accordance with established procedures, contributing to the stability of the employment status of teaching and supervisory staff and meeting school needs.

The Ministry also emphasized its focus on enhancing the readiness of teaching staff for the new curricula, explaining that the specialized Technical Supervision Department has conducted training courses for teachers on the new tenth-grade curricula, aiming to strengthen their preparedness to implement the curricula with the start of the academic year.

The Ministry reported that the training courses on the new tenth-grade curricula included supervisors of the Technical Supervision Department, coordinators, department heads, as well as teachers, through the localization of training within scientific departments, ensuring that training reaches the relevant teaching staff directly.

Statistics from the Educational Reality:

481,511 students in government, private, and religious education schools

391,604 students in general education in government schools

86,762 students in private Arab “independent” schools

3,145 students studying in religious education