Performance indicators for schools to improve standard of education

The Ministry of Education is introducing several radical reforms to develop and enhance the academic standards of its schools in Jeddah and other cites in the western region. It has decided to establish a performance index benchmark for schools in the region based on their academic standards.
To this end, an important workshop-cum-conference was held in Jeddah on Saturday to discuss the ministry’s initiative to launch the performance index. The workshop was held with the participation of officials from the Education Ministry and supervisors who discussed a wide range of issues to be implemented in three phases.
The workshop also reviewed student attendance during rains and explored the possibilities of helping students to make up for their loss of study hours.
“We are determined to reach standards of excellence where schools are required to be distinct from each other in terms of their performance,” said Musadaf Mohammed Salman, senior official in the Ministry of Education in Jeddah and supervisor of the committee for the assessment of the academic performance of schools.
He said that the ministry’s objective is to address the core components of education — faculty, students, and curriculum — in order to improve the employability quotients.
He said that yearlong activity with a top to bottom approach will provide tailor-made solutions and recommendations for a synergized outcome which is expected to increase healthy competition among schools in the city.
Salman added that the approach will enable students to align their learning practices with career requirements and equip them to meet dynamic changes in the economy directed at reviving the nation’s growth trajectory.
The faculty module will encompass interaction and knowledge sharing best practices and workshop sessions within schools in the region.
He said that research will be encouraged for teachers through cyberspace discussion groups, working papers and publications, besides participation in real life projects.
Referring to the curriculum, Salman said that the students’ module will reflect in industry interactions and exposure to discipline-wise streaming lectures, preparation of test banks, personality development and career counseling with an outlook for the future along the principles of ethics and social responsibility.