KUWAIT CITY, Sept 15: Tomorrow marks the beginning of the 2024/2025 academic year, with more than 70,000 children and students set to return to their classrooms. The first day will see 26,000 kindergarteners start their educational journey across 230 kindergartens, while approximately 44,000 first-grade students will begin their schooling in 351 elementary schools.

On Tuesday, September 17, an additional 400,000 students will join government schools. This includes 110,000 in the remaining elementary grades, 130,000 in middle schools, and 90,000 in secondary schools. Concurrently, around 200,000 students in private Arab schools will start their academic year.

Educational sources have confirmed that both schools and kindergartens have organized welcoming programs to ease the transition for young students, particularly first-graders. These programs are designed to be engaging and enjoyable to help reduce any anxiety associated with the first day of school. The decision to begin first-grade classes a day before the rest of the student body is intended to allow new students to become familiar with the school environment before their peers arrive.

In preparation for the school year, which officially began on September 8, school administrations have been busy setting up classrooms and updating student records. New guidelines have been issued to ensure students are assigned to their local schools based on address, addressing previous issues with over-enrollment. Schools have also been instructed to transfer students who are not registered within their designated areas to better manage student density.

Textbook distribution will start on the first day for first-grade students, with the remaining students receiving their books on the following day. Efforts are underway to address any shortages of textbooks and student furniture based on requests from school administrations.

The Ministry of Education is also implementing a study titled “Developing Pre-University Education,” which seeks to gather learners' feedback on the curricula. Some schools have made links to this study available on their websites, allowing students in the fifth, ninth, and twelfth grades to provide input on their experiences with mathematics, Arabic, and English through the educational platform.

In addition, the Ministry of Education has completed all preparations for the new school year, following a comprehensive plan developed with input from educational leaders and various ministry sectors.

Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Development and Activities, Maryam Al-Anzi, has announced the start of the weekly trips and camps season, running from October 1, 2024, to May 8, 2025. Organized by the General Directorate of Scouting Education, this season will feature weekly excursions and camps for various scouting teams, including Cubs, Boys, and Advanced teams, across land, sea, and air.

Al-Anzi has directed that schedules for these trips and camps be developed and has allocated a 30-dinar allowance per trip for Cub Scouts in elementary stages and other scouting teams in intermediate and secondary stages. The General Services Monitoring will manage transportation between schools and campsites, and scouting leaders must obtain certificates of protection from harm.