The Ministry of Education will close the "Opportunities" program tomorrow: 5 criteria for deciding on teacher transfers

The Ministry of Education is preparing to close the application period for the "Opportunities" program tomorrow, Thursday, which is dedicated to transferring those holding educational positions. The electronic sorting and selection process will then commence immediately. This step is part of the Ministry's ongoing efforts to streamline school and supervisory structures and ensure the distribution of qualified personnel in a way that serves the educational interest and addresses staffing needs across the Kingdom.

Selection criteria: Priority given to professional competence

In its pursuit of the highest levels of fairness and transparency, the Ministry adopted five precise criteria for determining the tie and ranking applicants in cases of equal baseline scores. These criteria reflected a strategic direction towards prioritizing scientific and professional competence over the traditional seniority criterion, with the order of priority being as follows:

• The subject-matter test score (professional license): It tops the criteria to be the strongest weighting factor, reflecting the Ministry’s interest in the teacher’s mastery of his scientific subject.
• The general educational test score (professional license): It comes in second place for measuring the educational skills of the teacher.
• Average job performance: It is calculated based on the evaluation of the previous two years to ensure continued excellence.
• Job discipline: The fewest days of absence without excuse are preferred.
• Start date: This comes as a last resort to resolve the conflict, giving priority to seniority if all the previous criteria are met.

Context of the transformation in educational human resource management

The “Opportunities” program and its heavy reliance on professional licensing results are part of a broader transformation underway in the Kingdom’s education system. This transformation aims to raise the quality of education by linking incentives and transfers to competence and excellence. This approach is a practical application of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals for the education sector, which focus on investing in human capital and ensuring that qualified teachers are in the right places where the field needs them. This will help bridge the gap between educational regions and address overcrowding or shortages through well-researched and scientific methods.

Strict controls to ensure field stability

The ministry stressed a set of requirements to ensure the seriousness of the transfer and the stability of the educational process, most notably:

• The system will close at the end of Thursday, and any application not submitted electronically will not be considered.
• Exclude those who are in the probationary period, those on study leave or exceptional leave, scholarship recipients, delegates, and seconded personnel, to ensure readiness for immediate commencement.
• The requirement of a clean employment record free from decisions to suspend or remove someone from teaching.
• A 5-year ban will be applied to those who have previously benefited from the program, starting from the date they took the previous opportunity.

Special mechanism for contract teachers

Regarding teachers appointed on a contract basis, the regulations clarified that competition is available to them exclusively within the scope of their educational administration, with the requirement of having a job performance evaluation for the previous two years, in order to ensure job stability within the regions and to meet local needs before considering wider scopes.