RIYADH — International education experts have praised Saudi Arabia's pioneering e-learning and distance education experience during the coronavirus pandemic, stressing that the Kingdom has demonstrated a role model through the Ministry of Education's online education platform Madrasati. Chief of Technology and Artificial Intelligence in Education Unit at UNESCO Fengchun Miao said that Saudi Arabia is among the few countries that developed and implemented quality standards to ensure effective and qualitative e-learning and education outcomes. Citing a large-scale assessment of distance learning and its impact by Saudi education agencies, Miao pointed out that no significant loss had ever been recorded in actual learning hours since the introduction of the e-learning education model for all classes and subjects with almost all normal school hours continuing during school closures using data analysis that tracks and records students' e-learning performance. The UN official underlined the importance of planning and implementing distance education programs to ensure comprehensive and fair educational opportunities for all worldwide. He added that comprehensive and equitable access to distance learning opportunities in Saudi Arabia has enabled 98 percent of students to access the Madrasati platform, while 2 percent had continued learning through access to iEN National Education Satellite Channels and iEN educational channels on YouTube. Professor Mark Brown, Director of Ireland's National Institute for Digital Learning, said that the coronavirus pandemic has created several education challenges, commending the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's distance learning experience and its development strategies and capacity building to the Kingdom's Vision 2030. CEO of the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Dr. Jennifer Mathes explained that the COVID-19 consequences on education are not to be underestimated, adding that the OLC has worked with the Saudi National e-Learning Center in supporting the Ministry of Education's strategies and future plans in line with the Kingdom's Vision 2030. Dr. Mathes also said that the Saudi Ministry of Education has carefully studied the status of e-learning for all education levels during the pandemic and has invested in digital education programs and technology solutions to improve distance learning and ensure its effectiveness and success.
