KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Ministry of Education has completed the development of new national curricula for kindergarten through Grade 9, just months after Education Minister Jalal Al-Tabtabaei ordered a full overhaul in April. In a high-level meeting with subject supervisors on Monday, the Ministry revealed new details about the scope and structure of the redesigned curriculum — part of a sweeping reform aimed at modernizing teaching standards, lightening student workload and aligning education with global benchmarks.
The minister emphasized the need for strong coordination between curriculum developers and educators to ensure smooth implementation. “Comprehensive training plans must be developed to prepare teachers for the new curriculum,” Al-Tabtabaei said, noting that training sessions will be held before the start of the 2025-2026 school year. The Ministry confirmed that 88 textbooks have been completed for the first semester alone: 2 for kindergarten, 46 for the primary stage, and 40 for the intermediate stage. All books are now undergoing final language and design reviews in preparation for printing. To ease student load, the new textbooks will be printed in four smaller parts, spaced throughout the school year. The goal is to improve content delivery while reducing the weight of schoolbags.
Training for teachers will begin ahead of the 2025-2026 academic year, with sessions offered both in person and online via Microsoft Teams. “Comprehensive training plans must be developed to prepare teachers for the new curriculum,” Minister Al-Tabtabaei said. He underscored the importance of collaboration between authors and field educators to ensure effective implementation.
One of the most significant changes affects the English curriculum, which now aligns with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and international tests such as IELTS and TOEFL. The new program focuses on developing well-rounded learners with strong listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, targeting CEFR levels A1 to B1.
Arabic language instruction has also been upgraded to reinforce critical thinking and communication. The redesigned Arabic textbook includes four teaching units, each built around two key themes that support a full range of language skills. “The design of the book reflects a high-quality national educational effort that aims to support teachers and achieve effective learning outcomes,” the ministry said.
New learning methods have also been introduced across the board. The curriculum incorporates 21st-century skills such as critical analysis, self-learning and problem-solving. Social studies content — now introduced from Grade 1 — aims to strengthen national identity through newly developed books. Science and math subjects will adopt a problem-based learning model through the STEM approach. The curriculum also aims to be inclusive, with adaptations that account for individual learning differences and the needs of gifted students.
The ministry emphasized that the entire redesign was developed locally by experienced Kuwaiti educators, supervisors and subject experts. “The curriculum philosophy was built by national hands according to scientific standards to ensure that educational goals are met,” the statement concluded. — Agencies
