The companies will each focus on one specific area including catering, infrastructure, quality of education and transport, Al-Eqtisadiah business daily reported Saturday quoting ministry sources.

According to the sources, one company will concentrate on making available quality meals at reasonable prices at school canteens. The company for infrastructure will ensure school buildings are provided with necessary maintenance, repair and construction work.

Another company will focus on making available basic educational services. Its areas of work include implementing programs aimed at improving the quality of education such as conducting orientation courses for teachers and revising and formulating curricula, in addition to organizing various education programs and activities.

The fourth company will be entrusted with managing transportation services for students and teaching staff. The company will concentrate on providing safe and comfortable transportation facilities.

The formation and operation of the companies will be under the supervision of Tatweer Education Holding Company (THC), which is tasked with the implementation of the King Abdullah Public Education Development Project.

The Riyadh-based company’s activities include the provision of basic and supporting educational services; development, establishment, acquisition, operation and maintenance of educational projects; and execution of related work and activities.

Meanwhile, Minister of Education Prince Faisal bin Abdullah emphasized the ministry’s keenness to exert maximum efforts in realizing the aspirations of teaching staff in the Kingdom in line with the ministry’s policies, goals and programs.

“The ministry is determined to spread the culture of quality, excellence and sustained improvement among educational institutions across the Kingdom,” the minister said in his message issued on the occasion of the Kingdom’s celebration of World Quality Day, which involved the launch of a series of initiatives and activities starting from Sunday.

World Quality Day was introduced by the United Nations in 1990 to increase worldwide awareness of the important contribution that quality makes toward growth and prosperity. The purpose of the day is to promote awareness of quality around the world and to encourage individual and organizational growth and prosperity.

The minister said Sunday would be the first quality day for the general education sector and would carry the slogan: “Together to honor ambassadors of quality and conveyors of excellence.”

He stressed the objective of building a knowledge-based economy governs the Saudi leadership’s directives to invest in Saudi human resources. “The basis for community development and economic potential is making investments in sources of knowledge. Hence, general education is the focal point to realize comprehensive and sustained growth,” he added.