Dar Ma‘arifi Hosts Educators and Academics to Present the “Education Reform Document”
MP Dawood Ma‘arifi: “Real reform begins with education… and the document is the cornerstone.”
MP Hamad Al-Olayan, a member of the Parliamentary Education Committee, pointed out that committee members agreed on four priorities for the upcoming phase. Reports are to be completed during the summer, one of which is the education development project, which includes the teacher licensing project and national assessments. MP Dawood Ma‘arifi emphasized that real reform must begin with education.
During a discussion session on the issue of reforming the educational system, held at Dar Ma‘arifi the day before yesterday and attended by a number of educators and academics, Ma‘arifi stated: “There is a national team of young people who worked on the Education Reform Document, which is considered the cornerstone upon which we can build educational reform.” He stressed the importance of such forums, saying, “I firmly believe that nothing appropriate and comprehensive can be presented without consulting specialists.”
For his part, Al-Olayan noted the agreement among committee members on four priorities for the next phase and praised the Education Reform Document, announcing its adoption. He said: “This document requires five years to implement, and it is a positive thing that we approach this realistically.” He added: “The problem with education in past years has been patchwork solutions and expectations of results within a month or a year—this is selling illusions.” He explained that “the deterioration and corruption in education over past years cannot be resolved within two or three months,” adding that “it is a good goal to begin reaping results within five years, and this gives us an indication of the sincerity of those behind this document and its content.”
He further stated: “Within the Education Committee, there was agreement on priorities for the next phase. Just as the Council agreed on four laws during the summer period, we in the committee agreed on four projects whose reports will be completed before the summer recess. One of them is the education development project, which includes the teacher licensing project and national assessments.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Khaled Al-Nafisi, one of those responsible for the document, presented an overview of its objectives and initiatives. He noted that “the idea originated from Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad, may he rest in peace, following the launch of a strategy in 2019 within an educational district. His intention was for it to expand to include the entire ministry, forming a plan that addresses shortcomings in the educational system, independent of individuals, so that the document represents Kuwait rather than specific entities or institutions.”
He added that “one of the plan’s goals is to free the ministry from centralized decision-making, allowing authority to be distributed across all sectors.” He also highlighted strengths such as continuous support from the political leadership for education and the state’s commitment to sustainable development, alongside weaknesses, including a fragile administrative system and the absence of clear standards across the ministry’s operations.
