Minister of Education: We are proceeding with the development of a more flexible and sustainable education system
Minister of Education, Engineer Sayed Jalal Al-Tabatabai, participated in the Transforming Education Summit +4 (TES+4), focusing on systemic transformation and resilience to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4.
The summit discussed the key achievements and challenges faced by the education sector since the Transforming Education Summit in 2022, alongside exploring ways to enhance the resilience of education systems, ensure sustainable financing, support comprehensive digital transformation, and elevate the teaching profession, thereby contributing to accelerating the realization of SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Minister Al-Tabatabai participated in the “Short Presentations” session within the TES+4 summit, held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France. The session was attended by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, along with several education ministers, international leaders, and representatives of global institutions and partnerships focused on education.
During his intervention, Al-Tabatabai highlighted aspects of Kuwait’s experience in educational transformation, reform, and innovation, as well as efforts aimed at achieving tangible results in developing the education system. He emphasized key lessons from the Kuwaiti experience that could enrich educational practices and facilitate knowledge exchange among countries.
Al-Tabatabai’s participation took place during the “Government Leadership and Youth Innovation” session, alongside the education ministers of Georgia, Montenegro, and San Marino, as well as youth and international leaders from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). The session discussed the role of government leadership, youth participation, and innovation in driving educational transformation.
In his speech during the “Government Leadership and Youth Innovation” session, Al-Tabatabai affirmed that Kuwait views this summit as a crucial milestone for transitioning from commitments to implementation, reviewing achieved accomplishments, exchanging experiences, and setting priorities for the period leading up to 2030 and beyond. This approach aims to strengthen international efforts to build more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable education systems.
At the outset of his address, Minister Al-Tabatabai conveyed greetings from His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah; His Highness the Crown Prince, Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah; and His Highness the Prime Minister, Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, to the summit participants. He expressed Kuwait’s wishes for the success of the summit’s proceedings and commended UNESCO’s efforts in leading international dialogue on the future of education and enhancing cooperation among nations.
Al-Tabatabai noted that the world is facing rapid transformations and interconnected challenges that necessitate reevaluating the capacity of education systems to adapt and endure. He explained that Kuwait has translated its commitment to achieving SDG 4 into actionable measures focused on education quality, equitable access, and strengthening the resilience and responsiveness of the education system to changes.
He pointed out that the 2025–2026 academic year represented an exceptional experience in Kuwait’s educational journey, as emergency regional circumstances required swift decisions to ensure student safety and the continuity of the educational process. He highlighted the shift to remote learning across all educational stages, which enabled over half a million students to continue their educational journey through the digital system, with attendance rates exceeding 85 percent.
He added that the Ministry of Education did not limit itself to providing e-learning, but implemented a comprehensive educational response that included reorganizing the school day, developing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, enhancing technical and psychological support, and making textbooks and educational resources available electronically. In addition, it executed a phased mechanism to deliver school textbooks to the homes of students in the primary and intermediate stages at government schools, supported by an electronic system to track delivery operations. This resulted in delivering books to approximately 175,000 students and distributing nearly 700,000 school textbooks, underscoring the state’s commitment to the principle of equal opportunity and ensuring that learning tools reach all students.
He also emphasized that digital transformation has become a cornerstone in developing the educational system in the State of Kuwait, noting that the Ministry established and activated more than 27 platforms and electronic services. These included educational resources supported by artificial intelligence technologies, digital services for students and parents, and professional and administrative services for teaching and administrative staff. Among the most prominent is the Electronic Transportation Platform, utilized by more than 106,000 male and female teachers, and an intelligent chat service linked to the curriculum, which contributes to facilitating access to knowledge, improving performance efficiency, and enhancing the quality of educational services.
Al-Tabtabaei stressed that teachers are at the core of the educational transformation process, explaining that the Ministry continued its professional training and development programs despite exceptional circumstances. Remote training programs were implemented, benefiting approximately 2,350 teachers, department heads, and technical supervisors, alongside efforts to create an integrated digital system for managing professional development. This system covers identifying training needs, nomination, approval, implementation, and evaluation.
Al-Tabtabaei also presented the State of Kuwait’s national project to harness artificial intelligence in education, being implemented in collaboration with Google. The project aims to train qualified instructors as part of a plan to enhance the capacities of approximately 40,000 male and female teachers over two academic years. He affirmed that technology serves as a tool to empower teachers and strengthen their role, rather than replace them.
He clarified that the State of Kuwait continued, alongside managing exceptional circumstances, to implement long-term reform pathways by gradually developing national curricula from kindergarten through secondary education, in accordance with global standards and 21st-century skills. This approach aims to strengthen national identity, critical thinking, digital awareness, and keep pace with rapid developments in the field of artificial intelligence.
Al-Tabtabaei noted that the Ministry has also begun developing a unified education regulation within a comprehensive vision for organizing educational work. The initial draft was made available to professionals in the educational field to provide feedback and suggestions prior to its approval. Additionally, the inspection and auditing system for procedures has been strengthened through a specialized office dedicated to reviewing procedures and operational mechanisms, thereby supporting governance and enhancing institutional performance efficiency.
He further added that the State of Kuwait has been keen to expand community participation in educational development. More than 193,000 individuals from the educational field and parents participated in a national survey aimed at curriculum development, reflecting a participatory approach in educational decision-making.
In conclusion of his speech, the Minister of Education affirmed that the State of Kuwait is committed to developing its education system in line with international visions and frameworks, strengthening cooperation with UNESCO and international partners, and leveraging global best practices, all of which contribute to accelerating the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 and building education systems that are more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable. He emphasized that investing in education is an investment in human capital, societal stability, and the future of coming generations.
