The GEP Secretariat confirms Alignment of RCQE Accreditation Scheme with UNESCO’s Green School Quality Standard
Dr. Mona Youssef Al-Ghamdi
25 October 2026 | Saudi Arabia
The UNESCO Regional Centre for Quality and Excellence in Education (RCQE), a UNESCO Category 2 Centre hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has achieved a significant milestone in advancing green education across the Arab region.
On 23 October 2026, the Greening Education Partnership (GEP) Secretariat officially confirmed that the RCQE Accreditation Scheme is aligned with UNESCO’s Green School Quality Standard (GSQS).
Under this internationally aligned framework, eligible schools reported by RCQE will be recognized and counted as GEP Schools, contributing to the global movement towards greener and more sustainable education.
A Regional Framework for Green School Quality
RCQE has developed the Arab Regional Network for Green School Quality, an initiative designed to strengthen sustainability, climate resilience, and educational quality across Arab educational systems.
The regional quality framework comprises four interconnected domains, 12 standards, and 34 measurable indicators, addressing:
1. Leadership and Governance.
2. Physical Environment and Resources.
3. Teaching and Learning.
4. Evaluation and Continuous Improvement.
The framework promotes an evidence-based, whole-school approach to sustainability through institutional self-assessment, external evaluation, accreditation, monitoring, and continuous improvement.
Strengthening Regional Cooperation
The initiative has engaged 22 Arab States in regional participation and coordination, with an initial pilot target of up to 15 schools per participating country.
RCQE works with national education authorities, National Commissions for UNESCO, and designated national teams to support implementation, technical capacity development, institutional evaluation, and knowledge exchange.
School nominations and pilot participation are distinguished from completed accreditation and verified recognition.
Contributing to Global Education Goals
The confirmed alignment strengthens the connection between regional quality assurance mechanisms and the international Green School Quality Standard.
The RCQE Accreditation Scheme will also be featured on the GEP Tracker under Pillar 1 – Greening Schools and on relevant country pages.
Through this initiative, RCQE supports the Greening Education Partnership’s ambition to transform at least 50% of schools in every country into green schools by 2030.
The Centre remains committed to strengthening international cooperation, promoting evidence-based quality assurance, and advancing sustainable educational transformation across the Arab region.
