06/09/2025
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06/09/2025
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Minister of Education, Sayed Jalal Al-Tabtabaei
KUWAIT CITY, Sept 6: Minister of Education Jalal Al-Tabtabaei is relieved to begin a new school year today in accordance with an ingenious plan that saved a lot of public money and put things in the right perspective. I learned this from my meeting with the minister, who was available to answer every question about education, which is the cornerstone of development.
He said a country cannot be built without distinguished and productive education. He clearly sees the path toward development within the capabilities of his ministry. Al-Tabtabaei, who is well-versed in all the intricacies of education, thanks to his extensive experience in this field, stated frankly, “the outputs of chaos that prevailed in the educational field over the past four decades do not keep pace with the labor market and increased disguised unemployment. Despite our short tenure at the ministry, we have been able to reform many aspects of this important sector.”
He pointed out that previously, curricula were based on rote learning and memorization, which prevented students from using their minds to innovate, think and gain knowledge -- the foundation of educating young people. This is the reason why we worked hard on the curriculum overhaul.”
books, while they lack the history of Kuwait, its rulers, its people and the bright pages of its history. This is the result of ideas injected by well-known movements with a long history of interference in the educational process. The directives of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah regarding the process of updating the curricula are clear to ensure the students are productive in all fields. The curriculum overhaul is necessary to correct the path. We are working hard to encourage students to pursue specializations needed by the local labor market.”
He affirmed that “in the coming days, we will cooperate with training institutes in Egypt specialized in this field to guarantee that no graduating student knows only office work, as the case in the past. We want graduates to be productive in various fields.”
He added, “Kuwait has young talent, but it lacks the correct methodology like that of the developed countries. Thus, we are exerting tremendous efforts to modernize education to keep pace with modern needs and serve future generations. All this necessitates working outside the box, so we are considering the establishment of ‘horizon schools’ in every governorate.”
He explained the Horizon Schools Project entails the establishment of public schools managed by local or international educational experts, with advanced international curricula focusing on Science, Technology and Mathematics, without spending a lot of public money. He revealed, “These schools are supervised by experts from the Ministry of Education. They ensure that graduates are productive, particularly since there have been many complaints about the condition of some schools, which are not managed properly.”
He stressed that “His Highness the Amir and His Highness the Prime Minister are closely monitoring the educational sector to create a professional generation through the carefully prepared advanced curricula.” He explained, “What happened to education in Kuwait over the past decades produced outputs that quickly became a burden on the State. This ends today. We will enter the new school year with a lot of changes. Students are considered the foundation of sustainable development. Their talents must be honed. This is a major task, because the foundation is not just education, but national education that produces productive citizens.”
He disclosed “the State has many ideas, all for the better. We emphasize that reforms in this field are carried out based on higher directives.” On the academic calendar, he indicated “we made amendments to the academic calendar, including vacations and holidays, because we found a lot of absurd aspects in the previous calendars.”
It is natural to have a long discussion about education, especially with a specialized minister who is prudent in answering questions, because he puts things in the right perspective regarding the mission entrusted to him. Without a doubt, the stability of a ministerial position has many benefits, especially considering that over the past 40 years, this most important educational executive position has been volatile, and there had been a lot of interference by parliamentarians, some influential people or corrupt factions that contributed to the failure of the fundamental task of the State -- building the next generation. Nevertheless, once you put the right man in the right position and provide him with stability in his work, there is progress in all areas.
This has started to materialize with a leadership that understands Kuwait deserves a lot more. This leadership works hard to realize the aspirations of citizens, along with efficient and hardworking personnel like Al-Tabtabaei. The seven months that the minister spent in his position were challenging, but he enjoyed them. His ministerial career is the most important in the eyes of the political leadership that monitors, listens and advises. When you speak with this minister, you sense his specialized mental abilities in the field of educating the youth.
By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times
