KUWAIT CITY, Nov 26: The Ministry of Education (MoE) has taken steps to address the impact of citizenship withdrawal decisions on its workforce, suspending salaries for affected male and female teachers. The ministry has also instructed educational districts to ensure these teachers are no longer allowed to teach. Sources from the Ministry confirmed that the withdrawal decisions have created vacancies within the education sector and the first batch of 70 affected employees has already been identified. A second group of administrators and teachers is expected to be included in the ongoing decisions, further intensifying the challenges faced by the ministry.
To manage the resulting teacher shortage, the Ministry of Education has initiated some measures by working to exempt educational institutions from the ministerial decision that currently restricts transfers and secondments within the ministry. This exemption is crucial to promptly address the shortage, especially with midyear exams approaching.
The Coordination Department in the Public Education Sector is collaborating with educational districts to identify and deploy alternatives to fill the gaps left by the affected staff. The Ministry’s efforts aim to ensure that students’ education is not disrupted during the critical mid-year examination period, despite the administrative challenges. The withdrawal of citizenship for a significant number of teachers and administrators poses immediate operational and ethical challenges. On one hand, the Ministry must maintain the integrity of its workforce; on the other, it must uphold its responsibility to students and the broader educational system. Efforts to address the shortages will likely include internal adjustments and possible recruitment drives to ensure the continuity of education services. These developments underline the delicate balance between administrative decisions and their impact on essential public services.
By Abdulrahman Al-Shimmari Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff