Minister of Education Dr. Hamad Bin Mohammed Al-Sheikh confirmed at the GCC education ministers' meeting, which was held Sunday via video conference, that the Kingdom, under the guidance of the wise leadership, succeeded to transform the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic that faced public education into exceptional achievements. Dr. Al-Sheikh added that Saudi Arabia gives great importance to public education at all local, regional and international levels, through implementing several development projects to prepare students to keep pace with future changes and achieve the strategic goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 related to Human Capability Development Program. He explained that the Ministry of Education carried out several development projects during the new academic year, most notably; developing curricula and study plans, establishing the new tracks system for the secondary stage, and implementing the three-semester academic year. He added that education in the Kingdom has made significant leaps in e-learning and distance education, citing the "Madrasati" platform which provided e-learning services for public education stages, and was ranked among the best seven global e-learning platforms, and the launch of the "Rawdati" platform to provide e-learning services for kindergartens. For his part, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf, stressed the importance of integration and coordination among the GCC states to exchange scientific and educational experiences, and take advantage of the efforts that were made to address the challenges and repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic on the education sector in the GCC states to achieve ambitions and enhance future opportunities to serve the interests of the GCC. During the meeting, the participants discussed the outcomes of the 40th session of the GCC Supreme Council and the Riyadh Declaration, and the completion of monitoring and documenting the efforts of the ministries of higher education and scientific research in the GCC countries in countering the pandemic, strengthening joint Gulf work, and developing technical capabilities in the public sector. — SPA
