Saudi Arabia has approved a landmark General Education Law that reshapes the governance of its school system, introduces new protections for students and teachers, and opens the door to greater private sector participation, in one of the Kingdom’s most comprehensive education reforms under Vision 2030. Issued by royal decree, the legislation creates, for the first time, a unified legal framework governing general education from early childhood through secondary school. The reforms are intended to improve educational quality, strengthen institutional accountability and better prepare future generations for a rapidly changing economy. Education Minister Yousef Al Benyan welcomed the law’s approval, thanking King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman for supporting a major milestone for the education sector. He said the legislation would modernise governance while creating a more efficient and integrated system capable of responding to future educational and labour market demands. Rather than focusing solely on classroom instruction, the new framework reorganises how the education sector will be managed. It establishes a General Education Affairs Council, chaired by the education minister, to coordinate long-term strategy, oversee national education policy and improve coordination among government bodies involved in the sector. The council will also supervise [...]
