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

Education Minister Yousef Al-Benyan confirmed that teachers participating in the 'Hodoori' attendance program will remain at school until the end of the school day, according to each school's approved schedule. He made the announcement during a government press conference.

Al-Benyan explained that the ministry is working to develop the education system through training and professional development plans targeting teaching staff. He noted that a new training program for teachers is among the largest ever for the education sector.

He said the ministry will train 240,000 educational staff across various levels, and will launch a digital platform for the professional development of 500,000 education employees.

To ease operational and administrative burdens on teachers, the ministry is collaborating with SDAIA and Humain to launch an initiative aimed at reducing these workloads.

The minister also stressed that no teacher will be allowed to teach a subject outside their area of specialization.

Al-Benyan pointed out that 22 subjects have been updated in the new academic year’s curriculum, with 50 new units on artificial intelligence added. The Madrasati platform now offers more than 500 digital books.

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He added that more than 45,000 students have enrolled in specialized schools for gifted students, over 4,000 teachers have been trained to identify gifted students, and more than 495,000 students have participated in qualifying competitions.

The ministry has also established several specialized schools to nurture student talents.

Al-Benyan said the early childhood enrollment rate has surpassed 35%, with a target of reaching 90% by the end of 2030.

He also noted that the ministry has provided 200 school buildings to create 160,000 additional seats in private education.

On scholarships, Al-Benyan stated that 70% of Saudi scholarship students are studying at the world’s top 50 universities.

The ministry has evaluated all schools in the Kingdom over the past three years to improve educational outcomes.