Ban to hamper full return in schools – ‘Shortage of teachers, cleaners’

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KUWAIT CITY, Dec 7: With the start of the countdown to the return to schools to full capacity at the beginning of the second semester on February 13, an official educational source revealed that the decision of the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) to put an end to the conversion of commercial visit visas to work visas will worsen the procedures for a full return in some private schools, especially Pakistani, Indian and Filipino community schools because of a severe shortage of human cadres, including teachers, bus drivers, cleaners, administrative staff and others, in many of these schools, reports Al-Rai daily.

The source said, “The dates of the school year are different in community schools from other private schools. In many of them, the school year begins in the month of March or April. There is no harm in that in terms of a full or partial return, as in the current system (a – b), but the important thing is the readiness of every school to return, if the appropriate conditions are available for it, particularly with the availability of human cadres. Each school has its own circumstances that may differ from other schools. The Ministry of Education must provide all facilities for the return of private schools and remove all obstacles on their way, with the exception of the educational sector regarding the conversion of commercial visas to work visas.

This is because employment in this important sector is still not stable despite the complete openness and the return to normal life in the country”. He indicated that all private schools are committed to applying the necessary health requirements and precautionary measures, but the biggest problem is in the long documentary cycle procedures for issuing work permits. The source stressed that he hopes the Ministry of Education will cooperate with other concerned government agencies in this regard, and exempt the educational sector from these measures due to the existing health conditions under such a critical stage, which is more like a transitional stage in the life of education. He said, “A return to full capacity in these schools is not difficult, but the obstacles that some schools may face in providing educational, administrative and service staff for their students must be dealt with.

This is a joint responsibility for which the government agencies must play their role by providing full support, and necessary facilities as well as exemptions from the long government procedures”. The source highlighted that the rate of vaccination in private schools is very high and may exceed government schools by stages, either in the ranks of educational and administrative bodies or among students. He stated that the initiative of the General Department for Private Education, which invited workers and students from 16 years of age and above to register on the website of the Ministry of Health in order to obtain an appointment for the vaccine, was well received, affirming the commitment of private schools to all necessary health requirements.

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