KUWAIT CITY, Oct 13: Informed educational sources have revealed that the “Career Pathways Program in Secondary Education,” a key initiative in the government’s work program for the Ministry of Education, has reached a standstill. The program aimed to diversify educational outcomes to serve the labor market’s needs better. Sources confirmed to Al-Seyassah that the project has encountered significant challenges that have made its implementation complicated and unfeasible. A major issue has been the lack of cooperation from some educational institutions, which insist on overseeing the implementation of field or practical education themselves.

This insistence has led to repeated conflicts between these institutions and the Ministry of Education. Statistics indicate that over 146,461 students in government schools and more than 68,000 students in private education have been unable to benefit from the program. This totals over 200,000 Grade 12 graduates in the last five years who have not acquired the necessary professional skills, negatively impacting their employment opportunities in the labor market. The project manager has reportedly expressed regret for discontinuing the initiative due to frustration within the team and ongoing indecision regarding its implementation.

The program has seen oversight from multiple ministers over the years, each oscillating between forming committees to study the program and canceling it without making decisive progress toward activation. Despite numerous amendments to the project, those in charge have been unable to achieve tangible results. The primary stumbling block appears to be a lack of consensus among educational institutions on the project’s implementation. Experts have warned that the program may remain inactive unless cooperation between the Ministry and various educational institutions are reevaluated. Nonetheless, those working in the educational field continue to emphasize the urgent need for the implementation of career pathways in secondary education.

By Abdulrahman Al-Shimmari
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff