Report on Kuwait’s Education Reform and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

The State of Kuwait has achieved 60% completion of a comprehensive six-pillar education reform strategy, a national initiative approved in January 2025. This reform is fundamentally aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), primarily targeting SDG 4 (Quality Education) while also making significant contributions to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The strategy focuses on curriculum modernization, teacher professionalization, digital transformation of infrastructure and services, and enhanced institutional governance, all within the framework of Kuwait Vision 2035.

The Six-Pillar Reform Strategy and SDG Alignment

The national strategy is structured around six core pillars, each designed to address specific challenges while contributing to a holistic advancement of the educational ecosystem and its corresponding SDGs.

1. Administrative & Financial Reform
   • Description: This pillar aims to increase financial efficiency, reallocate budgetary resources towards key educational development projects, and implement a new ministry structure to enhance coordination and performance auditing.
   • SDG Alignment: Directly supports SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) by building effective, accountable, and transparent institutions through improved governance and financial oversight.
2. Curriculum & International Standards
   • Description: A complete overhaul of curricula for Grades 1–9 is underway, with 80% of middle-level subjects rewritten. The new curricula integrate critical thinking, AI, and cybersecurity, alongside a national values framework.
   • SDG Alignment: This is central to achieving SDG 4 (Quality Education), specifically Target 4.7, which calls for ensuring all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development.
3. Education Development & Capacity Building
   • Description: The strategy mandates the adoption of global best practices, the introduction of a professional teacher licensing system, the enhancement of gifted education programs, and the establishment of a National Center for Training Educational Leaders.
   • SDG Alignment: Addresses SDG 4 Target 4.c by working to substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers through professionalization and continuous development.
4. Engineering & Infrastructure
   • Description: Focuses on the refurbishment of existing schools and the construction of new smart classrooms and facilities. Specialized teams utilize the Balagh system to audit and ensure school readiness.
   • SDG Alignment: Contributes to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 4 Target 4.a by building and upgrading education facilities that are effective, safe, and inclusive learning environments.
5. Ministry Automation & Digital Services
   • Description: Implementation of the Balagh IT platform enables real-time field reporting, maintenance tracking, and compliance monitoring through surprise inspections.
   • SDG Alignment: Advances SDG 16 by enhancing institutional transparency and accountability through digital governance. It also supports SDG 9 by fostering innovation in public service delivery.
6. Innovation Initiatives
   • Description: This pillar drives the integration of technological learning tools, digital classrooms, and programming projects to modernize pedagogical methods and improve student engagement.
   • SDG Alignment: Promotes the objectives of SDG 4 by leveraging technology to enhance the quality of education and learning outcomes.

International Collaboration for Global Standards

A key element of the reform is a strategic partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), finalized in March 2025. This collaboration is a direct implementation of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

• The partnership facilitates the benchmarking of Kuwait’s mathematics, science, and English curricula against international standards.
• It supports Kuwait’s integration into the PISA 2029 assessment programme, providing a global measure of educational quality.
• The OECD will assist in developing robust systems for teacher licensure testing and educational accreditation, further aligning the nation’s reform with global best practices and ensuring progress towards SDG 4.

Strategic Context and Implications for Sustainable Development

This educational reform is a cornerstone of Kuwait Vision 2035, a national agenda aimed at economic diversification and the development of a globally competitive state. By overhauling its education system, Kuwait is investing in its human capital to drive sustainable economic progress, directly addressing SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). The reform seeks to remedy systemic issues such as the mismatch between educational outcomes and labor market demands, thereby equipping a new generation with the skills required for the future economy. By integrating international standards and strengthening institutional capacity, Kuwait is positioning quality education as the primary catalyst for its long-term social and economic transformation.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

SDG 4: Quality Education

• The article’s central theme is Kuwait’s comprehensive education reform, which directly aligns with SDG 4’s mission to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” The entire strategy, from curriculum overhaul to teacher training and infrastructure development, is aimed at improving the quality of the education system.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

• The reform’s focus on building “smart school infrastructure,” “refurbishment of old schools,” and implementing a “new Balagh IT platform” for real-time reporting and coordination connects to SDG 9. This goal emphasizes building resilient infrastructure and fostering innovation, which is reflected in the article’s description of digital and physical upgrades to the educational system.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• The article mentions pillars like “Administrative & Financial Reform” and “Ministry Automation & Digital Services” which aim to “reduce financial inefficiencies,” enhance “governance transparency,” and establish “performance audit systems.” These efforts to build effective, accountable, and transparent institutions at the ministry level are directly relevant to SDG 16.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

1. Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.

   • The article states that a “full-scale overhaul of grades 1–9 curricula was approved” and that the reform addresses “limited secondary graduation rates.” This shows a clear intent to improve the quality and outcomes of primary and lower secondary education.

2. Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

   • The reform incorporates “AI, cybersecurity, and critical thinking” into the curriculum to address “weak alignment with labor-market needs” and “foster a generation equipped for future global challenges.” This directly supports the goal of providing students with relevant, modern skills for future employment.

3. Target 4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.

   • The article explicitly details plans for the “refurbishment of old schools and construction of new smart classrooms” as central to “infrastructure upgrades,” which directly corresponds to this target.

4. Target 4.c: By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers…

   • The plan includes initiating “teacher licensing,” creating a “National Center for Training Educational Leaders,” and collaborating with “international experts.” These actions are designed to increase the number of qualified and well-trained teachers.

Indicators Mentioned or Implied

1. Indicator 4.1.1: Proportion of children and young people achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics.

   • This is directly implied by Kuwait’s plan for “integration into the PISA 2029 programme.” The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a key tool for measuring student proficiency in reading, mathematics, and science, making it a direct measure for this indicator.

2. Indicator 4.4.1: Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills.

   • The curriculum’s new focus on “AI, cybersecurity,” and the implementation of “digital classrooms” and “programming projects” imply that a key outcome will be an increase in students’ ICT skills. Progress can be measured by assessing the proficiency of graduates in these areas.

3. Indicator 4.a.1: Proportion of schools with access to (b) the Internet for pedagogical purposes; (c) computers for pedagogical purposes.

   • The article’s emphasis on “smart school infrastructure,” “digital classrooms,” and “technological learning tools” directly points to this indicator. Progress can be measured by tracking the percentage of schools that have been upgraded with these digital facilities.

4. Indicator 4.c.1: Proportion of teachers who have received at least the minimum organized teacher training.

   • The introduction of a “teacher licensing” system provides a clear, measurable way to track the proportion of teachers who meet national qualification and training standards, which is the essence of this indicator.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com