His Excellency Prof. Abdullah bin Omar Bafail, the President of Umm Al-Qura University, launched the summer training program for the male and female teachers of the Ministry of Education on Thursday. The training program will be carried out by the College of Education from 4 Dhul-Qi`dah 1440 A.H. It will include 32 training programs benefiting 1200 teachers, and will be conducted by 8 trainers with academic specializations in educational sciences.

His Excellency the Dean of the College of Education, Dr. Ali bin Muslih Al-Matrifi, briefed His Excellency Prof. Abdullah bin Omar Bafail on the executive plan of the training program. It will be organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and followed up by the Supervisory Committee headed by the Dean of the Education College, and with the membership of the deans of the college and a number of academic staff members.

His Excellency Dr. Ali bin Muslih Al-Matrifi asserted that the professional development of teachers is not confined to the classrooms. Rather, it transcends to enhance the classroom experience, using diverse fields of knowledge and activities outside the teaching environment, as well as providing a continuous evaluation of the teachers' performance, objectives, and achievements in short periods. This has proven to be essential, especially given the fact that the qualification, preparation, and development of teachers has become a necessity to meet the fundamental needs of the community and upgrade the educational level.

Moreover, he pointed out that the training packages were designed in line with the latest developments in the educational process to help the supervisors, educational leaders, teachers, and student guides add to their expertise and academic skills.

In addition, His Excellency Dr. Ali bin Muslih Al-Matrifi lauded the generous support extended by His Excellency Prof. Abdullah bin Omar Bafail, President of the UQU, by harnessing the university's full human and technical potential to guarantee the success of the training program. He emphasized that education is a fundamental factor in the realization of the desired change to meet the expectations.

His Excellency highlighted that the Ministry of Education has focused its ambitious Education Development Plan on the qualification, preparation, and development of teachers and the enhancement of teaching performance. This has been achieved through a continuous specialized training program that contributes to meeting the needs of the educational system and leveraging 21st century skills, targeting all groups in the educational field. The training program is an important step towards the provision of systematic opportunities for the continuous education of the teaching staff in various disciplines. Lastly, he lauded the continuous support of His Excellency Dr. Hamad Al Al-Sheikh, the Minister of Education, and expressed appreciation for his trust, providing the opportunity for the UQU, represented by the College of Education, to participate in such a constructive project.