Ministry of Education and ICCEBA Organize Regional Workshop to Enhance Governance of General Education Assessment Institutions

The Ministry of Education and the Regional Islamic Bureau of Education for Science, Culture and Development (ICHEI) organized, on Monday, a specialized regional workshop titled “Governance of General Education Assessment Institutions in Arab Countries: A Forward-Looking Perspective,” under the patronage and attendance of Minister of Education Jalal Al-Tabtaba’i, with the participation of the Center’s Director General, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Mudairis, and a select group of experts, educational leaders, and representatives of national, regional, and international institutions, via the Zoom platform. The event aimed to enhance Arab integration in assessment governance and elevate the quality of educational systems.

In his opening remarks at the workshop, Al-Tabtaba’i emphasized that educational development is no longer measured solely by the volume of programs and initiatives implemented by educational institutions, but by their ability to achieve tangible results, measure their impact, and rely on reliable indicators to shape policies and make decisions. He stressed the strategic importance of governance.

Al-Tabtaba’i stated that the workshop represents an important scientific and educational platform to discuss a strategic issue related to educational development: the governance of assessment institutions, enhancing their efficiency, and ensuring the reliability of their results. This supports the quality of educational policies, contributes to improving educational outcomes, and opens broader horizons for exchanging expertise and insights, thereby strengthening joint efforts to develop educational systems in Arab countries.

He added that assessment is not an end in itself, but a tool for reform and continuous improvement. Its true value lies in its ability to guide educational decision-making and produce tangible effects within schools and classrooms, as well as in teacher performance and student learning levels. He affirmed that the success of development efforts is linked to the ability of educational institutions to utilize assessment results to improve performance and address shortcomings.

He noted that, alongside reform efforts, the Ministry has sought to make digital transformation one of the key enablers for strengthening institutional governance. This has been achieved through the development of an integrated, electronic digital system that serves various aspects of the educational and administrative processes, supporting transparency in procedures, fairness in standard application, and efficiency in monitoring and accountability.

He explained that this system provides data and indicators that contribute to performance evaluation and measuring achievement levels, thereby enhancing the quality of educational and administrative decisions and linking them to the actual needs of the educational field. He emphasized that reform decisions are not complete merely upon their issuance; rather, they depend on the soundness of their foundations, the clarity of their implementation standards, the effectiveness of their execution, and the ability to measure their results and ensure the sustainability of their impact on developing institutional performance and elevating educational quality.

Al-Tabtaba’i also affirmed that governance is not limited to establishing controls and procedures, but represents an institutional framework that entrenches the principles of justice, transparency, and accountability. It enhances the efficiency of educational decision-making and ensures that policies and resources are directed toward development priorities, keeping the learner’s interest and the quality of their education as the primary benchmark for the success of reform efforts.

He added that the rapid transformations witnessed by Arab educational systems necessitate a shift from merely measuring performance to building assessment institutions capable of interpreting results, identifying shortcomings, and providing evidence that helps policymakers choose the most effective and sustainable policies.

Al-Tabtaba’i highlighted the importance of the study prepared by the Regional Islamic Bureau of Education for Science, Culture and Development, due to its analysis of the current state of governance of general education assessment institutions in Arab countries and its comparison with international experiences.

He emphasized that the ambition behind organizing this workshop extends beyond diagnosing the current situation and exchanging experiences; it also aims to crystallize practical visions and guiding frameworks that are adaptable and implementable, thereby enhancing the efficiency of evaluation institutions and increasing the reliability of their results. This, in turn, supports Arab countries’ capacity to make evidence-based educational decisions, while respecting the specificities of each education system and its national priorities.

He stated that Kuwait’s hosting of the workshop reflects its commitment to strengthening Arab and international educational cooperation, and represents a continuation of the political leadership’s focus on developing education, improving its quality, and supporting reform steps aimed at building a more efficient and sustainable education system capable of keeping pace with changes and achieving national goals.

He expressed his hope that the outcomes of this cooperation would support educational reform efforts, develop policies and institutional practices, and enhance the exchange of successful experiences, in alignment with Kuwait Vision 2035 and the aspirations of Arab countries for higher-quality and more efficient education.

In conclusion of his speech, Al-Tabtaba’i expressed his sincere gratitude and appreciation to the UNESCO Regional Office for Education in the Arab States (ICHEI), represented by its Director-General, Dr. Abdulrahman bin Ibrahim Al-Dosari, as well as to all participating entities, experts, specialists, and working teams that contributed to the workshop’s organization. He expressed confidence that the participants’ scientific expertise and institutional experiences would enrich the workshop’s proceedings and contribute to formulating practical recommendations that strengthen the governance of evaluation institutions and support efforts to enhance the quality of education in Arab countries.