Culture & Education | Friday 6 November, 2015 4:28 am |

Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar inaugurated the first Public Schools Evaluation Conference on Wednesday on behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman. The event was attended by key local and international experts in the sector and was positively received by all participants.

Such events signify that Saudi Arabia is taking important steps to upgrade its education system, both public and private, to a high international standard by sending thousands of its nationals to world-class universities around the globe.
The three-day event is being organized by the state-run Public Education Evaluation Commission (PEEC) under the aegis of the king.
“Investment in education is an investment in our country and our citizens,” Prince Faisal said in his speech. "I am honored on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to be with you on this occasion as a manifestation of his great attention and care for the education sector.”

The state's focus on education is apparent in the state budget, of which a quarter is devoted to education, representing the Kingdom's continued support for projects that seek to improve education levels nationwide.
“This is part of the commission's responsibility to evaluate the local education system in order to guarantee its quality, and to increase its standards and basic indicators as a way of assessing both government and private school's performance,” said Naif Al-Roumy, PEEC governor.
He added that the conference also seeks to improve standards within the curricula of public education in order to regulate national tests for all levels of education in the country.

About 3,000 participants will attend the three-day event which will feature the presentation of 19 scientific working papers and nine workshops by both local and international experts and specialists. It will also feature an education expo on the sidelines of the event.
Al-Roumy noted: “This conference is one of the most important events organized by PEEC in the context of its work to build a systematic assessment mechanism for the education sector,” adding that the commission is seeking to bring renowned scientists and experts to the sector to develop recommendations that will enrich evaluation procedures, quality standards and qualification levels in Saudi Arabia.
According to him, this event will stimulate interest in further studies and research on the sector, and will therefore contribute to its distinct objectives, in addition to spreading a culture of evaluation, and emphasizing its importance for those interested in the educational process.