Kuwait Education Ministry Issues 20 Strict Rules for Schools – Here's What You Need to Know

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 1: The Ministry of Education has issued a comprehensive set of 20 regulations and prohibitions governing work and conduct in schools, covering fundraising, commercial activities, school canteens, external events, filming, social media use and the protection of student and employee information.

The regulations aim to strengthen administrative discipline, ensure compliance with approved procedures and protect the privacy of students, parents and school employees.

The main rules and prohibitions are as follows:

1. No collection of money or gifts: Collecting money or accepting gifts and donations, whether in cash or in kind, from teachers, administrators, students or parents for any purpose is prohibited.

2. No unauthorized sales or commercial promotion: Selling or promoting goods and services to students and employees, or using one's official position or school facilities for personal or financial benefit, is prohibited.

3. Purchasing and financial transactions: All purchasing, contracting, payment and collection transactions must comply with the regulations and procedures established for this purpose.

4. Food and beverages from unauthorized sources: Selling, distributing or bringing food and beverages from unapproved sources into school premises is prohibited.

5. School canteen compliance: Canteens must not operate or offer products that violate health requirements or the regulations and circulars issued by the General Authority for Food and Nutrition and the Ministry of Education.

6. Food distribution during events: Food may be distributed during school events only in accordance with Ministry of Health Decision No. 15 of 2025, after verifying its source, safety, storage and health requirements.

7. Daily supervision of canteens: School administrations must supervise canteen operations daily and ensure regular services, food and beverage quality and safety, and compliance with Ministry of Health Decision No. 15 of 2025, issued on May 28, 2025, and Public Education Assistant Undersecretary Bulletin No. 23 of 2025, issued on Sept 21, 2025.

8. Daily canteen inspection records: Schools must maintain a daily follow-up register, approved by the principal, documenting all canteen violations, including unauthorized displayed products and failure to meet health requirements for workers.

9. Reporting canteen violations: A member of the school team responsible for the canteen must be designated to periodically inform inspectors from the General Authority for Food and Nutrition about violations identified during follow-up inspections, in accordance with Article 6, Paragraph 1, of the relevant Health Ministry decision.

10. Warnings and contract termination: School administrations must enforce canteen contract terms and warn contractors to rectify violations within a period of at least three working days. Failure to comply may result in termination of the contract.

11. Events and filming require written approval: Organizing celebrations or events involving guests from outside the Ministry of Education, or conducting filming inside school premises, is prohibited without explicit written approval from the competent authority.

12. Approval for external entities: Schools may not coordinate with, contract or host external entities, institutions or individuals to conduct activities without approval from the competent ministry authorities.

13. Educational objectives for activities: All school activities and events must serve clear educational and pedagogical objectives and be included in the school's approved plan.

14. Unauthorized use of names and logos: Using the school's name or the Ministry of Education's logo in publications, advertisements or promotional material without official administrative coordination and approval is prohibited.

15. Restrictions on employees' social media activity: Employees are prohibited from exploiting their official positions on social media to discuss ministry affairs, particularly by photographing ministry premises or employees and publishing such images.

16. Student photographs and recordings: Photographing, recording or publishing students' images or personal data requires prior written consent in accordance with the applicable regulations. Circulating such images through personal accounts or private communication groups is prohibited.

17. No linking photographs to personal information: Connecting students' photographs to their personal information or using their images for purposes unrelated to education is prohibited.

18. Protection of confidential information: Disclosing or leaking school secrets, documents or information concerning students, parents and employees is prohibited. Staff must not request information unrelated to their duties or misuse information obtained through their work.

19. Official statements and publications: No one may issue statements, publish news or content in the name of the Ministry of Education or a school, or use its logo in advertisements and personal pages without official permission from the competent authority.

20. No rumors or offensive publications: Publishing rumors, inaccurate information or offensive content about the Ministry of Education, schools, students or employees through social media or other channels is prohibited.

The Ministry said the regulations are intended to regulate operations within educational institutions, promote compliance with official instructions, protect students' and employees' privacy, and ensure that school activities and the use of official names and logos follow approved procedures.