The Council of Ministers Resolution No. (108) dated 14/02/1440H approving ETEC Statute was issued based on Recommendation No. (837) dated 08/02/1440H of the Council of Ministers’ General Committee. Said Resolution provides for the amendment of the name of the Education Evaluation Commission to become the Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC).
Among other provisions, the ETEC Statute provides for the following:
First: ETEC shall have a legal personality with financial and administrative independence, and shall directly report to the Prime Minister. Its headquarters shall be in the City of Riyadh, and it may, pursuant to a decision by the Council, establish branches and offices inside the Kingdom, as needed,
Second: ETEC shall be the authority in charge of evaluation, assessment and accreditation of qualifications in the field of education and training in public and private sectors so as to raise the quality and efficiency of education, and thus enhance its contribution to the national economy and development. To this end, ETEC shall have the power to undertake the following.
- Develop, approve and implement systems for evaluation and accreditation, including evaluation and accreditation of institutions and programs, in the field of education and training. Such systems shall include necessary rules, standards, frameworks, indicators, and conditions.
- Evaluate the performance of schools, higher education institutions and training institutions, and approve them periodically in accordance with criteria approved by the Council.
- Evaluate certificate programs implemented by educational and training institutions, and approve them periodically in accordance with criteria approved by the Council.
- Build, implement and develop assessment tools and methods in education and training.
- Build, approve and periodically update standards for general education curricula, in coordination with the Ministry of Education.
- Build and implement educational measures and tests (such as university admission tests, and national tests in general education stages which relate to evaluation of general education ) as well as training, vocational, professional, linguistic, cognitive and other tests and measures.
- Build and implement diagnostic survey manuals as well as other manuals in the fields of education and training.
- Participate in standard international tests designed for the evaluation of education and training, in accordance with regulations approved by the Council, and oversee the implementation of such tests in the Kingdom.
- Prepare professional standards for the practice of professions in general education and training, approve such standards and evaluate their implementation.
- Build and implement tests related to professional competence of teachers and the like in education, as well as of trainers and the like in training, and issue their professional licenses in accordance with regulations approved by the Council.
- Develop a national framework for qualifications, which includes rules, controls, standards, indicators, conditions and procedures related thereto, and submit the same to the Council for approval and oversee the implementation thereof.
- Develop standards and conditions for education and training institutions seeking institutional and program accreditation from international accreditation bodies, determine requirements for exemption from program accreditation, submit the same to the Council for approval, and monitor their implementation.
- Set indicators related to ETEC’s work, check them periodically, develop them in light of international indicators.
- Establish centers affiliated with ETEC to carry out some of its powers; the Council shall determine their organizational affiliation, financial status, means for implementation of its powers, and manner for executing tasks assigned to it by ETEC.
- Establish or participate in establishment of companies or join companies as partners or shareholders, in accordance with applicable statutory procedures.
- Seek the assistance of persons, as it deems necessary, to carry out its evaluation, assessment and accreditation activities, in whole or in part, or any complementary part thereto, in accordance with rules approved by the Council;
- License other entities, as it deems fit, to engage in evaluation, measurement, accreditation and qualifications in education and training in the Kingdom, in accordance with rules approved by the Council.
- License foreign entities to, directly or indirectly, engage in evaluation, accreditation, measurement, or qualifications in education or training inside the Kingdom, in accordance with rules approved by the Council.
- Carry out evaluation, measurement and accreditation activities outside the Kingdom, according to rules approved by the Council.
- Provide consultations and services to governmental, private and other bodies, inside and outside the Kingdom.
- Organize programs and courses within the scope of its powers.
- Organize and participate in seminars, conferences, workshops, exhibitions, competitions and prizes, in accordance with applicable statutory procedures.
- Issue magazines, periodicals, books, guides, and brochures related to ETEC’s tasks and activities.
- Exchange scientific and cognitive publications with educational and training institutions inside and outside the Kingdom, as well as with other relevant entities outside the Kingdom.
- Exchange experiences and expertise with similar entities outside the Kingdom, and establish channels for cooperation with them, in accordance with applicable statutory procedures.
- Monitor the implementation of the Kingdom's international obligations regarding evaluation, measurement and accreditation in education and training.
- Represent the Kingdom or participate in its representation before relevant regional and international committees, organizations and bodies, in accordance with applicable statutory procedures.