Saudi education minister announces curriculum updates and AI integration
Education Minister Yousef Al-Benyan unveils updates to 22 school subjects and the introduction of 50 AI units as part of reforms for the new academic year.
Key Takeaways
AISaudi Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan has announced updates to 22 school subjects for the upcoming academic year, alongside the introduction of 50 educational units focused on artificial intelligence, as part of ongoing efforts to develop the Kingdom’s education system.
Speaking at a government press conference, Al-Benyan said the ministry has evaluated all schools across the Kingdom over the past three years to enhance educational outcomes. He highlighted a new professional development plan for teachers, describing it as one of the largest training initiatives in the education sector.
He explained that 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 help reduce teachers’ workloads, the ministry is working with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) and Humain to launch a pilot project aimed at easing operational and administrative burdens on teachers.
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Al-Benyan stressed that no teacher will be assigned to teach a subject outside their specialization. He also clarified that teachers’ attendance at in-person programs will be scheduled at the end of the school day, according to each school’s approved timetable.
The minister noted that more than 45,000 students have enrolled in specialized schools for gifted students, with over 4,000 teachers trained to identify talent, and more than 495,000 students participating in qualifying competitions.
He added that the ministry has established several specialized schools aimed at nurturing student talents.
Regarding early childhood education, Al-Benyan said enrollment has reached over 35 percent, with a target of 90 percent by the end of 2030.
He also stated that the ministry has provided 200 school buildings to create 160,000 additional seats in private education, while the Madrasati platform now offers more than 500 digital books.
On the subject of overseas scholarships, Al-Benyan noted that 70 percent of Saudi scholarship students are studying at the world’s top 50 universities.