KUWAIT CITY, June 19: As the academic year draws to a close, the pressure to expedite administrative procedures -- particularly those related to leave requests, assignments, and fingerprint data updates -- has intensified. This coincides with the countdown to the summer vacation of teachers, leading to unprecedented overcrowding in the employee affairs departments in various educational districts. Sources disclosed that the customer service halls in the educational districts have been overwhelmed by the influx of staff trying to complete their transactions. The situation has been exacerbated by delays in cost entry, fingerprint processing disruptions, and slow administrative procedures concerning attendance.

Guide
Sources said the main issue is the absence of a clear procedural guide for addressing fingerprint-related problems; while many employees lack knowledge of how to handle forms related to missed fingerprint scans, absences or departures, although these forms are available in the systems of the Education Ministry. “Compounding the problem is the fact that many of those assigned to administrative roles are newly appointed and lack the necessary experience. Combined with the absence of proper planning and training, this has resulted in confusion and slow processing of files; not to mention the frequent system shutdowns towards the end of the academic year,” sources elaborated. One teacher expressed frustration: “I was marked late due to the fingerprint attendance mechanism, even though I was in class teaching. Am I supposed to leave my students just to log my fingerprint?” Sources divulged that there is a growing demand within educational circles to separate the fingerprint attendance system used by the ministry from that of the Civil Service Commission (CSC). Teachers argued that the system does not reflect the unique nature of their work. They pointed out “the class schedule proves our presence and commitment. Yet, a missed fingerprint -- often because we are engaged in tasks like marking or supervising activities -- unfairly impacts our evaluation,” one exasperated teacher shared.

Surge
“Many expect a surge of complaints this year regarding annual evaluations, which they believe do not reflect the teachers’ actual performance. There are calls to review the current job performance evaluation mechanisms and ensure they are based on classroom productivity, not solely on fingerprint data,” sources said. Sources also stressed the need to activate retroactive data entry and processing powers in the educational districts, so that teachers are not penalized for administrative errors beyond their control. Sources indicated that administrative stability in schools necessitates a comprehensive reform of existing mechanisms. “This includes improving the competency of administrative personnel and overhauling the fingerprint and performance evaluation systems to protect the rights and dignity of teachers,” they suggested.

By Abdulrahman Al-Shammari
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff