‘Implementation of child protection law may lead to shortage of teachers’

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KUWAIT CITY, Sept 17, With male and female teachers preparing to resume work on Sunday for the 2016/2017 academic year, there are fears within the educational circle concerning acute shortage of teachers particularly with the implementation of the child protection and disabled welfare laws, which make it possible for some teachers to legally leave during official working hours every day at a time when the country is struggling with paucity of funds and low expenditure policy that hinder employment of enough number of teachers, reports Aljarida daily.

Regarding this crisis, Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Bader Al-Essa disclosed that he had previously sent a memo to the Council of Ministers in that regard and requested for the ministry to be exempted from the law, especially since it could create crisis in schools.

He explained that majority of elementary school teachers are women, due to the decision to feminize education at that level. Most of the teachers in elementary schools will be absent for two hours every day for taking care of their babies. However, he assured that the ministry will deal with the issue appropriately.

Regarding the disabled welfare law, he declared that the ministry is bound to comply with the law. The minister indicated that many of the teachers will go on early retirement and there is nothing that the ministry can do to prevent that. He explained that alternatives being considered by the ministry include employing new teachers based on the need at beginning of the semester. However, this is associated with several factors, mainly finance. The 750 teachers newly hired through local and foreign contracts will reduce the pressure and the students in colleges of education who are on the verge of graduating can be used for the purpose

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