The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated, via videoconferencing, in the regional workshop of UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education in Saudi Arabia (RCQE), held on Tuesday, July 13, 2021, under the theme “Developing the Structure of the Education System and the Duration of the Academic Year and School Day in Arab Countries.”
Dr. Tarek Shawki, Minister of Education and Technical Education in Egypt, delivered the Workshop’s opening address which brought together intellectuals, experts and specialists representing several local, regional and international bodies.
The Workshop reviewed the outcomes of the scientific study which was conducted under the supervision of the RCQE on “Developing the Structure of the Education System and the Duration of the Academic year and School day in Arab Countries: A Comparative Study.” The study aimed to provide a new vision for developing the structure of the education system and the duration of the academic year and school day in Arab countries in light of the best global practices and the ground realities prevailing in these countries as well as the orientations of the 21st-century schools. The measure identifies the reality of the Education System’s structure and the duration of the academic year and school day in Arab countries.
The study targeted the following eight Arab countries: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia, and Morocco while reference countries included Germany, Malaysia, South Korea, the United States of America, France, and Australia.
The study also focused on drawing a comparison between the reference countries’ best global practices and orientations in the field and the reality of education systems in Arab countries along with the outcomes of field studies conducted to meet the objectives of the current study.
Dr. Youssef Abou Daka, Mr. Aziz Elhajir, and Dr. Ahmed El Zanfali, Program Managers at ICESCO’s Sector of Education, represented the Organization in the Workshop.