‘Doctors with no degree’

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KUWAIT CITY, Feb 15: Chairman of the parliamentary Education, Culture and Guidance Affairs Committee MP Hamad Al-Matar has criticized officials of Kuwait Society for Quality Education (KSQE); including Chairman Bader Khalid Al-Baher and Vice Chairman and Secretary Hashem Al-Refaie. He quoted Al-Refaie as saying on his Twitter account that he will closely monitor the individuals who added Doctor – denoting Doctor of Philosophy degree holder – to their names even if they have not completed such a degree.

The lawmaker asserted that Al-Refaie should start with himself, indicating the latter should stop using the title ‘Doctor’. He cited as an example the ministerial decision on the official declaration of KSQE published in Kuwait Gazette on Dec 3, 2016 in which the title ‘Doctor’ preceded the name of Al-Refaie; in addition to the contracts that Al-Refaie signed with the Public Authority for Applied Education (PAAET).

Al-Matar went on to highlight the violations recorded by the State Audit Bureau (SAB); stating Al-Hashem did not inform PAAET that he was on overseas treatment trip, during which he illegally received allowances estimated at KD16,000. He added that Al-Hashem was obligated to return the amount he received illegally. According to the lawmaker, Al-Hashem is forcing his students at PAAET to buy his books every semester and Al-Hashem admitted it in his reply to a comment on his Twitter account.

Queries
Addressing columnist Ahmed Al-Sarraf, the lawmaker claimed the columnist is like a liquid that dilutes liberalism while saturated with sectarianism. He urged Al-Sarraf to comment on the information he revealed about the latter’s friend Al-Refaie as part of his incessant articles on the development of education.

Addressing Minister of Social Affairs and Community Development and Minister of State for Women and Children Affairs May Al-Baghli, the lawmaker disclosed that he forwarded queries about KSQE to the minister on Jan 3, 2023; but he has yet to receive any response. He gave the minister until Sunday to respond; otherwise, she will be subjected to questioning as per the Constitution. He then stressed the important role of public profit organizations in developing education; but some of such organizations are being used as platforms to attack others. He also affirmed that the Board of Directors of KSQE consists of competent academic figures like Dr Khalid Al-Fadhel who served as a minister and chairman of Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS).

Meanwhile, MP Thamer Al-Suwait asked Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Abdulaziz Al-Majed to comment on the report of SAB for fiscal 2021/2022, including a warning about the decreasing global food production due to climate change and other global crises. He wants to know the steps taken to address the violations stated in the report ,such as the lack of oversight and follow up on the part of the Animal Production Department at the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR). He also inquired if the ministry has a plan or strategy to achieve food selfsufficiency and to ensure food security, as well as the projects that PAAAFR supports in a bid to increase food production. He also asked Minister of Education, Higher Education and Research Ahmed Abdulwahab Al-Adwani about the cancellation of the election of the National Union of Kuwaiti Students (NUKS) in Egypt for the current academic year. He demanded for copies of the correspondences between the ministry and Kuwait Embassy or Kuwait Cultural Office in Cairo regarding the objection of Egyptian authorities to conduct the elections, if any; legal stand of the committee tasked to oversee the election; method of collecting the fees for subscription in the general assembly; and legal basis for the collection of such fees.

National Assembly Speaker Ahmed Al-Saadoun had a meeting with Chairman of the General Court of Audit in Saudi Arabia Dr Hosam Abdulmuhssen Al-Angari and Chairman of SAB Faisal Al-Shayaa. The Saudi delegation included Director of GCA branch in Gazan Abdulrahman bin Yahya Abuwakda, Director of GCA branch in Asseer Muhammad bin Amer Al- Burqan, Director of GCA branch in Makkah Abdullah bin Habib Al-Tayyari, Director of Audit Department at the National Guard Abdullah bin Salman Al-Angari and GCA Chairman Secretary Fahd bin Dekhail Allah Al-Malki. The Kuwaiti side consisted of Assistant Undersecretary for Audit on Ministries and Public Institutions in SAB Assam Salem Al-Romi and First Coordinator at the Public Relations and Information Department in SAB Ahmad Faisal Jawhar.

By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh Arab Times Staff

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