Education Minister: 'Child Reads' Initiative Helps Nurture Talents in Kindergarten Stage - Sarmad
Press coverage 2 newspapers covered this event: Al-Seyassah · Kuwait News →
Education Minister Sayed Jalal Al-Tabatabaee affirmed that the 'Child Reads' initiative contributes to nurturing the talents of kindergarten students and developing their abilities from a young age, expressing his hope that Kuwait will lead the Arab region with this initiative.
Translated by Qiyas from سرمد — Original source
Kuwait’s Minister of Education, Sayed Jalal Al-Tabatabaee, affirmed on Wednesday that the “Child Reads” initiative contributes to nurturing the talents of preschool children and developing their abilities from an early age, thereby preparing them to continue excelling in subsequent educational stages. He expressed his aspiration for Kuwait to lead the Arab region through this initiative.
Speaking to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) following the launch ceremony of the initiative’s second season, Minister Al-Tabatabaee stated that focusing on the preschool stage constitutes a foundation for building a new generation. He added, “The idea behind the initiative emerged during a meeting with the Arab Reading Challenge team, after it became evident that the Challenge targets elementary, middle, and secondary school students, which necessitated creating opportunities for preschool children to participate.”
He praised the achievements of the Arab Reading Challenge during the 2025–2026 academic year, including winning three awards, and the success of the “Child Reads” initiative, calling for expanded efforts to discover children’s abilities within preschools and to focus on the diversity of their talents and reading specializations.
For his part, Abdullah Al-Barak, the General Coordinator of the “Child Reads” initiative, said in his speech at the ceremony that the initiative extends Kuwait’s leadership in science, knowledge, culture, and initiatives that serve the Arab human being. He explained that it aims to develop children’s pre-reading skills, based on the belief that building a reader begins before learning letters and sentences.
He clarified that “Child Reads” is the first government initiative whose stories are included in the Arab Reading Challenge library, allowing children across the Arab world to benefit from them, as they embody values that reflect Kuwaiti society.
He expressed pride in the recognition and attention the Kuwaiti experience has received from Arab participants, emphasizing that this reflects the initiative’s value and its role in developing children’s skills and strengthening their connection to reading from their earliest years.
