Bedoun teachers ‘sacking’ rapped

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Stranded Egyptian teachers face cuts

KUWAIT CITY, March 4: As the first test for the new government that caused it great embarrassment, the Council of Undersecretaries of the Ministry of Education, during its recent meeting, affirmed the suspension of disbursement of salaries for Bedoun teachers whose security cards have expired, stressing that their services will be ended if their cards are not renewed within the coming two weeks.

Meanwhile, informed sources from the education sector said the council also discussed the file of the 1,000 teachers stranded in Egypt, highlighting the need to specify the number of teachers who can be dispensed with after considering the specializations needed by the ministry as well as those who can be replaced through local contracts. Immediately after the announcement of the Ministry of Education’s Council of Undersecretaries regarding its approach towards the Bedoun teachers, a number of MPs criticized it, calling on the ministry to withdraw such an approach.

Parliamentary sources revealed that they had contacted the Minister of Education, Dr Ali Al-Mudhaf, who promised to follow up the issue and study the consequences of its implementation from various aspects so that the necessary measures could be taken. Head of the Parliament’s Education Committee MP Hamad Al-Matar considered the decision a “crime”.

In a press statement, he said, “If the news is true regarding the Ministry of Education’s decision to dismiss the Bedoun teachers who did not renew their security cards, then it is undoubtedly a crime, as they are the first group after the citizens”. Al-Matar added, “We reject this unjustified act by the ministry. We will take serious action with the minister to stop such tampering with people’s livelihood”.

In this regard, MP Dr Abdullah Al-Turaiji said he wished the minister Al-Mudhaf would reconsider the decision in coordination with the concerned authorities and avoid cutting off or harassing people’s livelihood. He indicated that ending the services of Bedoun teachers whose security cards have expired will increase the living and humanitarian burdens on this group.

Meanwhile, MP Dr Abdul-Karim Al-Kandari called on the Minister Al-Mudhaf to activate the role of private education in monitoring private schools. He stressed that the expulsion of Bedoun students due to non-payment of tuition fees is illegal, especially with the charitable fund guaranteeing the tuition fees, and the current implementation of the online learning system, which means there is no place or support for the fees.

In addition, the council’s educational committee agreed recently to the proposal, based on the desire of MP Fayez Al-Jamhour, to oblige the Ministry of Higher Education to equalize higher education certificates of the employees who obtained their certificates without taking study leave.

By Raed Yousef/Abdul Rahman Al-Shammari Al-Seyassah Staff

This news has been read 46786 times!