RABAT — Saudi Arabia has gained new experiences with regard to providing distance education while dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and has been able to put in place a system that will continue to work even after the crisis is over to address the problems of school dropouts, said Saudi Education Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Sheikh. Chairing a virtual session of the Conference of Ministers of Education in the Islamic world, held by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) here on Thursday, Dr. Hamad pointed out that Saudi Arabia started imparting distance education years ago, but what is new is the modernization of the system. Now we have 20 live broadcast channels through iEN Education Portal, in addition to making educational content available through different social media platforms and channels for various Saudi universities. Dr Hamad welcomed the participants and commended ICESCO for organizing the conference in cooperation with the Ministry of Education of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In a speech addressing the participants, the Saudi minister said that the responsibilities of the ministries of education have multiplied during COVID-19. Assistant Director General of UNESCO for Education Stefania Giannini said that there is an urgent need to adapt to this crisis, which revealed large technical gaps between different countries of the world, adding that about 100 million students around the world are currently deprived of continuing their education due to the lack of availability of online communication technologies, which underlines the importance of education in schools. Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) Dr. Salem Bin Mohammed Al-Malik delivered a speech in which he emphasized the need to rehabilitate educational systems in Islamic world countries to be able to face future challenges and adapt to crises and emergencies by developing infrastructures, updating training programs, and employing modern technology. Participants in the conference discussed in virtual sessions the role of artificial intelligence applications in developing educational systems and presented successful experiences in countries that faced the pandemic to exchange experiences and confirm the preservation of the right to education. They also reviewed guidance framework documents issued by international organizations on procedures for preparing for a safe return to schools.
