RIYADH — Saudi Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan announced on Thursday the launch of the National Curriculum Center. The minister made the announcement on the sidelines of the Human Capabilities Initiative (HCI) conference, which began in Riyadh on Wednesday. The launching of the center follows its approval by the Council of Ministers to make it an independent body in which the roles of government sectors related to national goals are integrated through curricula. The work of the new center is based on developing the governance of the curriculum system, involving relevant sectors such as culture, sports and human rights in decision-making. The center is also aims to build partnerships with global expertise houses to work in accordance with scientific research methodologies that are consistent with the requirements of new generations by taking advantage of digital transformation tools and focus on skills to enable citizens to acquire competence at the global level. The center's work mechanism emphasizes the clarity of the roles and responsibilities of the parties concerned with developing and updating curricula, and coordination and harmonization between general education and post-general education curricula to meet the needs of the current and future market, in addition to compatibility with changes and developments through comprehensive development processes and continuous updating of curricula. The National Curriculum Center consists of a board of directors that approves policies, frameworks, standards and regulations that enable the center to achieve its goals, in addition to appointing advisory committees of specialists whose tasks are to provide technical support and advice. The center's areas of work include framing curriculum standards, study plans, printed and digital educational content, special education curricula, and research, and development and innovation in the field of curricula. The center would undertake a number of specializations that will ensure the quality and safety of the educational content provided to male and female students in the general education level, including strategy building for the national curriculum, and approving the national curriculum framework in coordination with the Ministry of Education, the Education Evaluation Commission, and other relevant authorities.
