KUWAIT CITY, Sept 9: The Ministry of Education has officially canceled the flexible working hours system for the 2024/2025 academic year, as outlined in a recent circular. The decision affects over 130,000 school employees as the Ministry sets fixed start times for various school stages. Workers in educational districts are now required to begin at 7:00 am, with kindergarten and primary school staff starting at 7:15 am, intermediate schools at 7:30 am, and secondary schools at 7:45 am.

According to a reliable source from the Ministry of Education, officials will discuss the possibility of reintroducing flexible working hours this week. The system was temporarily suspended due to negative feedback from school principals last year, which highlighted challenges in managing schedules and classroom distribution. Principals raised concerns about the difficulty in assigning first-period classes and teachers' reluctance to take these classes, disrupting the educational process.

The Ministry intends to coordinate with the Civil Service Commission to explore the feasibility of reinstating flexible hours without hindering school operations. Last year, the system led to complications in the classroom schedule, particularly with teachers arriving late, which disrupted their ability to fulfill their roles effectively.

Meanwhile, over 130,000 teachers and administrators returned to school to start the new academic year. Transferred teachers were busy clearing procedures and transferring their fingerprint records to their new schools as instructed by the Ministry. However, new teachers, currently attending training courses, have had their fingerprinting delayed until next week.

In another development, the Ministry of Education has enforced stricter rules for accepting students from the "Bedoon" community. In line with directives from the Prime Minister, students in this category will only be accepted if they hold a valid security card issued by the Central Agency for Illegal Residents.

Additionally, the Ministry's Human Resources Director, Falah Al-Dhafiri, has issued instructions for departments to determine their staffing needs for non-educational jobs for the 2025/2026 academic year. This request follows guidance from the Civil Service Bureau to ensure job requirements are entered into the integrated systems for classified positions.

On another note, the Ministry of Interior, in collaboration with schools, is launching an awareness campaign. Acting Undersecretary of the Development Sector, Maryam Al-Anzi has directed schools to hold lectures on drug prevention, violence, traffic safety, cybercrimes, environmental policy, and combating terrorism. The schedule for these lectures will be distributed before the end of the month. Additionally, schools interested in participating in the “With Students” radio and TV programs were urged to submit their names. The program will feature middle and high school students competing for the Amir’s Cup.