KUWAIT CITY, Nov 10: The Ministry of Education (MoE) tightened control on cheating methods in high school exams during the second semester of the last academic year, hence, its success in neutralizing test leakers and referring them to courts, which led to a noticeable commitment in the exam committees and a decrease in cases of barring. Based on this success, the ministry is preparing for a new experience in exams with greater confidence this year, as part of intensive preparations to ensure the integrity of the exams. It has laid down a comprehensive plan that includes strengthening security measures and developing the control system to achieve a fair exam environment for all students.

It has started preparations for the first semester exams for the academic year 2024/2025, striving to secure all the requirements to ensure that the exams run smoothly despite the challenges it has been facing since a large number of high school principals retired earlier without filling up the posts they vacated. This puts the ministry in a difficult position in terms of forming high school exam committees.

Despite the technical challenges, the most important move is to raise awareness on the importance of adhering to the regulations and preparing well for the exams; while warning against relying on cheating methods that may harm society as a whole and lose the credibility of the educational process. Educational sources revealed that acting Undersecretary of the ministry and Director General for Examinations Mansour Al-Daihani has approved the formation of control committees tasked to organize and follow up on the progress of exams. The decision includes the appointment of Assistant Undersecretary for Public Education Affairs Mansour Al-Dhafiri as the first deputy of the Science Section, Director of Hawally Educational District Dalal Al-Nahedh as second deputy, Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Research and Curricula Maryam Al-Enezi as first deputy of the Literary and Religious Studies sections and Director of Jahra Educational District Jassim Bu Hamad as second deputy. Sources confirmed that members of the control committees started reviewing the database and lists of students in the Science and Literary sections, while maintenance work on devices and equipment is ongoing to ensure their readiness for the upcoming examination period. Sources added the educational districts are coordinating their efforts for the printing of exam papers for the intermediate stage in the educational districts’ control rooms to lessen the burdens of the central unit and speed up the examination preparations

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