H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO, participated, on October 5, 2026, in the high-level meeting organized by the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States (ABEGS) on “Improving Student Learning Outcomes in the Gulf, Middle East, and North Africa, Drawing on Insights from the PISA 2025 Findings.” The meeting brought together senior officials, experts, and specialists in the field of education.
In his address, delivered remotely, the Director-General emphasized that education is undergoing a profound transformation in its understanding of quality and in the nature of the skills needed by learners. He noted that the success of an education system is no longer measured solely by its ability to provide access to education and expand enrollment opportunities, but also by its ability to ensure meaningful learning and enable learners to use knowledge, think critically, solve problems, learn independently, and adapt to a rapidly changing world.
The Director-General noted that learning outcomes are now a key indicator of the quality of an education system, as they reflect the combined impact of curriculum quality, teacher competence, effective educational leadership, relevant assessment, the learning environment, and the ability to make effective use of technology and data. They also reflect the capacity of education policies to translate resources and investments into tangible improvements in student learning.
The Director-General highlighted the importance of the PISA 2025 findings, which covered science, mathematics, and reading, in addition to a new domain related to learning in the digital world. More than 760,000 students from 91 countries participated in the assessment. He explained that the findings revealed challenges affecting learner performance in a number of areas, while also demonstrating that some education systems have been able to make progress. This confirms that learning outcomes can be improved when reforms are based on a clear vision, coherent policies, and sustained investment in the quality of education.
The Director-General underscored the importance of joint Arab action, stressing that the objective is not to adopt a single model for Arab education, but rather to build shared Arab capacity to learn from different experiences, analyze data, exchange knowledge, document impactful practices, and connect educational research with policymaking.
ALECSO’s participation in the meeting reflects its commitment to supporting Arab dialogue on issues related to education development and the improvement of learning outcomes, as well as to strengthening cooperation with ABEGS and other educational institutions across the Arab world. These efforts seek to contribute to the development of evidence-based education policies, while enhancing the quality of education and its outcomes throughout the Arab region.
The Director-General expressed his hope that the meeting would constitute a significant step toward strengthening an integrated Arab vision that places student learning at the heart of policy, evidence at the foundation of decision-making, teachers at the center of development, technology in the service of learning, and Arab cooperation as a driver of excellence and innovation.
