‘Rain is natural phenomenon that we must live with’

KUWAIT CITY, April 13: While calls for education reform, developing its outputs, and raising the level of students are increasing, the educational field and parents were surprised by the decision to suspend public and private schools Wednesday due to the expected rains which affected the country only for a short time in some areas, reports Al-Qabas daily. While the successive decisions taken by the Ministry of Education yesterday regarding attendance, disruption and distance education caused a state of controversy in educational circles and confusion in educational areas and school administrations, experts told the daily that the decision to suspend schools is ill-considered and negatively affects the quality of education.

Society
The educators explained that rain is one of the natural phenomena that we must live with and deal with without making exceptional decisions that are not in the interest of generations and society. They pointed out that the Ministry’s decision to hold lessons Thursday remotely is like another holiday, amid expectations of a mass absence from electronic lessons due to insufficient preparation, whether by the Ministry or parents.

They pointed out that rest of the countries where such weather phenomena occur, the last thing they think about is closing schools, as they are more keen on education, adding, “If there are deficiencies in general education schools with regard to preparations and maintenance these should be rectified.” The situation is different in the private sector, and these schools are more prepared in facing such matters, and therefore there was no need to close private schools.

They pointed out that the actual days of study in Kuwait are less than many countries, as the number of actual school days for the two semesters is 132 days in Kuwaiti schools, compared to the global average, which ranges between 170 and 200 days. It was remarkable that meteorologists asserted that there was no need to disrupt working hours, but the Education Ministry did not pay heed to this.