Education: New regulations for certificates and electronic detection of grade inflation
In a move aimed at strengthening the governance of educational processes and ensuring fair assessment, Ministry of Education a set of new regulations within the examination guide for the academic year 1447 AH. These decisions come as part of the Ministry's ongoing efforts to standardize the official identity of educational outcomes and enhance the reliability of academic documents issued by all public, private, and international schools.
Unifying identity and preventing private slogans
The new directives included a decisive decision prohibiting private and international schools from placing their own logos on academic certificates, requiring them to use only the Ministry of Education's logo. This measure aims to standardize all educational documents in the Kingdom, eliminating discrepancies in certificate format between different schools and reinforcing the value of the certificate as a recognized national document, regardless of the type of school the student graduated from.
Reforms in grade monitoring and curricula
In the context of ensuring academic quality, the Ministry emphasized the exclusion of supplementary courses not included in the official curriculum from the calculation of grades on final documents. The instructions clarified that enrichment courses taught in some private schools that fall outside the Ministry's approved framework will not have any weight in the cumulative grade point average or academic record, thus ensuring equal opportunities for all students in the Kingdom when applying to universities or for jobs.
A smart electronic system to combat "grade inflation"
Perhaps the most significant aspect of the new guide is the introduction of an advanced electronic system to detect grade inflation. This system will utilize intelligent algorithms to provide teachers with immediate alerts when grades are found to deviate from the normal performance curve (bell curve). If a teacher approves these grades without review, the alert will automatically be forwarded to the school principal, placing the principal under direct responsibility to intervene and examine the supporting evidence to ensure the integrity of the academic assessment.
Language facilities and disciplinary procedures
The ministry has mandated that schools issue transcripts and grade reports in Arabic with an accompanying English translation on the same document. This will facilitate students' use of their certificates both locally and internationally, eliminating the need for later certified translations. Furthermore, the terms "first round" and "second round" have been removed from graduation documents to reduce social stigma and emphasize the final achievement.
Regarding conduct, separate certificates of good behavior have been abolished, and the grade recorded in the unified report will suffice. In a firm deterrent against forgery, the Ministry has decided to immediately cancel the student's current grade if it is proven that the previous grade's certificate was obtained irregularly, and to refer the matter to the relevant authorities. This reflects the Ministry's resolve to protect the integrity of the education system.
