Teachers to remain on campus until end of school day, says education minister

Education Minister Yousef Al-Benyan instructed teachers in the Hodoori program to remain on campus until the conclusion of their school day, as per each school's predetermined schedule. This directive was confirmed during a government press conference. The minister elaborated that the ministry is dedicated to enhancing the education system through training and professional development initiatives specifically for teaching staff.

He highlighted that this represents one of the most extensive training programs ever undertaken in the education sector, aimed at equipping 240,000 educational personnel across various levels. Additionally, the ministry is launching a digital platform to facilitate the professional growth of 500,000 education employees. To alleviate operational and administrative burdens on teachers, the ministry is partnering with SDAIA and Humain to initiate measures that will lighten their workload.

The minister emphasized that teachers will only be permitted to teach subjects within their area of expertise. Notably, 22 subjects have been revised for the upcoming academic year, with an addition of 50 new units on artificial intelligence. The Madrasati platform now boasts over 500 digital books available. Over 45,000 students have enrolled in specialized schools for gifted pupils, while more than 4,000 educators have been trained to identify these gifted students.

Over 495,000 students have also taken part in qualifying competitions. The ministry has established specialized schools to foster student talents. Al-Benyan reported that the early childhood enrollment rate has exceeded 35%, with the goal of reaching 90% by the end of 2030. Furthermore, the ministry has allocated 200 school buildings to accommodate an additional 160,000 seats in private education.

In terms of scholarships, the minister stated that 70% of Saudi scholarship recipients are pursuing higher education at universities within the world's top 50. The ministry has conducted evaluations of all schools in the Kingdom over the past three years to improve educational outcomes.