RIYADH — Minister of Education Dr. Hamad Al-Sheikh underscored the need for investing more on distance education in the post coronavirus educational scenario. “There has been remarkable change in the concept of the future of education before and after the outbreak of the pandemic. We need to focus more on investing in the positive results achieved in distance education and developing its programs and plans in future,” he said. In an address to the directors of education from various regions of the Kingdom on Tuesday, the minister urged them to prepare early for the next academic year and to lay out plans and possible scenarios to deal with the pandemic in the event of its persistence. Al-Sheikh underlined the need to take all necessary measures in preparing these plans, serving the interests of boys and girls students and compensating any educational loss incurred to them, with the importance of completing the grade monitoring process. He highlighted the importance of raising the operational efficiency of the educational process, and making arrangements to get schools ready well in advance of the school year in the event of the disappearance of the pandemic. Al-Sheikh stressed the continuation of remote evaluation processes for boy’s and girl’s students through interactive platforms until the end of the school year on May 14 (Ramadan 21) through applying multiple evaluation options. “This should be in a way ensuring an increase in the level of academic achievement and the enhancement of learning outcome,” he said while appreciating the enhanced interaction of students with the evaluation process.