Deputy PM chairs Supreme Education, Training Council meeting

Manama, Dec. 14 (BNA): Deputy Premier HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa the Chairman of the Supreme Council for Education and Training Development chaired the Council's meeting today. The Council approved its Action Plan 2017 presented by Dr. Roy Blatchford, the project's executive director. The meeting reviewed the Council's 2016 workflow reports regarding the executive plan for national project initiatives aimed to develop education and training and to enhance vocational training and school performance, curricula and higher education. The Council listened to a presentation by the Minister of education regarding the experimental studying of international trends in mathematics and sciences for the year 2015. The Kingdom of Bahrain has been ranked first in the Arab world in the fourth grade primary school science exam results, and has been ranked second in the Arab world in the second grade intermediate mathematics' exam results and also in both the second grade primary and the second grade intermediate mathematics' exam results, the Council learnt. Bahrain has achieved the highest percentage for development in the mathematics' exam results by scaling up from fifth rank to second in the Arab world and from 34th to 25th globally in the rating of students' knowledge in addition to first ranking globally in the TIMSS multi-numerical culture test which was implemented for the first time with the participation of eight countries, the Council was also informed. The Council reviewed the audit reports of the Authority of Qualifications and Quality Assurance for Education and Training (QQA) referred from the Cabinet comprising the Authority's 2016 Annual Report, the results of auditing the performance of educational and training institutions, and the audit reports on academic programmes of higher educational institutions in addition to the recommendation regarding decisions to confirm four qualifications in higher education .