Anwar Al-Hamdan, the Acting Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Research and Curricula, has shed light on the challenges facing the Ministry’s development plan initiatives, particularly within the scope of curriculum development and the diversification of secondary education tracks.
Al-Hamdan told Al-Rai daily that the curriculum sector has been overseeing the curriculum development project since 2012, along with the secondary education track diversification project, which commenced in 2021.
However, both these projects have encountered numerous hurdles since 2020. Various reports and recommendations have been submitted to address these challenges and align the projects with the latest industry trends.
Despite ongoing efforts, these obstacles persist, impeding the projects’ execution in accordance with the repeatedly revised schedules. The General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development (GSSCPD) has urged the Ministry to establish a well-defined document and framework, ensuring a systematic plan and coherent educational policies in alignment with the state’s vision.
Al-Hamdan also shared insights into the diversification of secondary education tracks project, which was initially part of the public education sector from 2011 to 2021 before transitioning to the educational research and curricula sector in 2021. She referred to the project’s automated system data, indicating an actual start date of April 1, 2017, an anticipated completion date of March 31, 2025, and a current completion rate of 48 percent.
Regarding the Curriculum Development Department, Al-Hamdan noted that it has adopted a distinct vision and strategy, deviating from the previous team’s approach, which had achieved a 48 percent progress rate. As of September 30, there were no recorded achievements in the system since the Curriculum Development Department is evaluating the current situation.
Al-Hamdan put forward 5 proposals to complete the development plan projects, which are as follows:
1 – Forming a committee headed by the Minister of Education to develop the education strategy 2025-2040, which includes members from all relevant educational institutions.
2 – Identifying an executive director for each project, who is familiar with all procedures, operational steps, and challenges facing the project.
3 – Establishing a project management office entrusted with development projects, within the government’s work program, and including a specialized team.
4 – Preparing an operational guide to organize the work of projects, in order to proceed with simultaneous time steps to achieve integration and comprehensiveness.
5 – Training the managers of the assistant undersecretaries’ offices to manage projects related to their sectors.