Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The outbreak of the global coronavirus pandemic has underlined the need for countries around the world to rearrange their priorities, build new directions and move to find alternative solutions in dealing with the challenges posed by the crisis to education system worldwide, said Saudi Arabia's Education Minister Dr. Hamad Bin Muhammad Al-Asheikh on Wednesday.

Al-Asheikh made the remarks during an extraordinary meeting of the General Conference of Ministers of Education in the member states of the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States (ABEGS), Saudi Press Agency reported.

During the meeting, the minister highlighted the Kingdom's successful experience of distance learning during the pandemic.

At the outset of his speech, Al-Asheikh conveyed greetings of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman to the participants.

He said that this meeting is important to push the education march and sustain development and stability in the Gulf Cooperation Council societies.

Al-Asheikh added that Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education, as other governmental entities, dealt with this pandemic upon directives of the wise leadership.

He highlighted his ministry's experience in dealing with the pandemic, including live educational TV broadcasting via iEN Channels, links of YouTube channel, iEN Enrichment Portal, Future Gate, and Unified Education System in addition to the efforts made by the universities in providing virtual classes.

The minister also highlighted the ministry's efforts in other fields, including preparing the housing for health isolation, harnessing human cadres for volunteering in the health field, means of transport for moving male and female citizens returning from abroad to the hospitality facilities, spreading awareness about this pandemic and providing many training programs.