Gulf | Kuwait
Kuwait asks teachers to improve standards or face dismissal
Sources said that the ministry could afford to remove the non-performing teachers, explaining that their number was not too high to cause replacement problems
- By Habib Toumi, Bahrain Bureau Chief
- Published: 11:15 May 26, 2010
Kuwait has warned local non-performing teachers that they would be sacked if they do not improve their competence levels. The highly unusual decision was taken after giving the teachers ample improvement opportunities, the assistant undersecretary for public education said.
"The education ministry has organized special workshops and training sessions to help teachers whose performance was not satisfactory," Mona Al Loghani said. "Those who have not benefited from such opportunities will not be allowed to teach," she said, quoted by Kuwaiti daily Al Rai.
Options for the dismissed teachers include giving them administrative jobs, the paper said.
Unnamed sources said that the ministry could afford to remove the non-performing teachers, explaining that their number was not too high to cause replacement problems.
Al Loghani has often highlighted the importance of outstanding performances by teachers.
"Books, the curricula, methods and evaluation techniques are all important in the educational process; however, the most important and critical responsibility is that of the teacher," she recently said. "He is entrusted with our children, the country's most valuable assets and the next generations, and we value such responsibilities," she said.
Gulf Cooperation Council states have regularly resorted to teachers from Arab countries, mainly Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Tunisia to staff their schools and colleges while at the same time engaging in massive and often onerous training programmes to prepare local teachers.
Contracts with expatriate teachers in the Gulf are usually for two years, a fact that allows the education authorities not to renew them in case of non-performance. However, disciplinary measures are rarely taken against local teachers with unsatisfactory standards.
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