RIYADH – The Council of Ministers Monday approved the regulation to give more powers to the Evaluation Commission of General Education so that it acts an independent entity with financial and administrative freedom and a separate budget. According to the decision, the commission will be linked to the Prime Minister until the Supreme Council of Education takes over its tasks and functions. The Cabinet session was chaired by Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense, at Al-Yamama Palace. In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the Cabinet session, Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Abdulaziz Khoja said the commission will have a governor, with excellent rank, who will be appointed by a royal order. According to the regulations, the basic purpose of the commission is to evaluate general education (public and private) in order to upgrade the quality of general education. The commission's functions include evaluation of the performance of government and private schools as well as programs being implemented by the general education institutions. Its other tasks are setting professional standards, holding competence tests, and complete requirements of vocational licensing programs for those working with the general education sector. The Cabinet also extended the period of National Program for the Development of Industrial Complexes for another five years effective from March 7. The session decided to make available of human resources and funding as well as regulatory frameworks so that the Program can function effectively in accordance with the national industrial strategy. Dr. Khoja said the Cabinet endorsed reviewing the existing mechanisms that enable the Kingdom to establish a globally competitive industry for vehicles or their parts and that will be in coordination between the ministries of petroleum and mineral resources, finance, economy and planning, commerce and industry, and labor. The Cabinet stressed that the Program alone would be allowed to deal with attracting the industry of automobiles or their parts, besides recommending such industries to those parties which are interested in making investments, and this shall be undertaken without affecting the private sector's right to invest in the automobile industry. The Cabinet made an appeal to the international community to make serious and quick efforts to halt the tragedy of the Syrian people and help them. – SG
