KUWAIT CITY, June 9: The joint parliamentary committee, consisting of members from the Education and Financial Affairs panels, unanimously approved Thursday the proposed salary increase for the salaries of teachers and students’ allowances in the presence of Education and Higher Education Minister Ahmed Al-Mulaifi.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Educational Affairs Committee Chairman MP Dr Jamaan Al-Harbash confirmed the joint panel approved the second report on the teachers’ pay raise bill, as well as the proposal to increase the allowance of students from KD 100 to KD 200. He revealed the original bill on the salary increment for teachers was amended to include their counterparts in the Ministry of Awqaf. He said the Development and Reform Bloc will not vote on the general state budget unless the two draft bills are approved. He also called on all his colleagues to attend the next parliamentary session to vote on both bills.
Commenting on the suggestion of Al-Mulaifi to grant the increment to teachers as bonus, Al-Harbash pointed out the minister’s idea is good but it is difficult to implement. He explained it will be unfair if the ministry grants the bonus based on the specialization of the teachers. He warned this might cause grave administrative problems and conflicts, which may harm the educational process.
On the other hand, Al-Mulaifi said the government prefers the first teachers’ pay raise proposal with an estimated total cost of KD 231 million rather than the decision of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to allocate KD 88 million for this purpose.
The minister also commented on the idea of the CSC to grant bonus ranging from KD 6,600 to KD 8,000 to the teachers, depending on their performance and position. He supports the idea but the criteria for evaluating the teachers’ performance must be accurate, so those who deserve the bonus are not deprived of their right.
Al-Mulaifi disclosed a recommendation had earlier been presented to give the teachers additional allowances - KD 200 for those with rare specializations, KD 150 for those with masters degree and KD 250 for those with doctorate degree, as well as bonus to the non-Kuwaiti teachers based on their performance. He also appealed to the lawmakers to agree on linking the teachers’ performance to the bonus, reward and punishment system.