Kuwait gears up traffic control for peak return

KUWAIT CITY, May 2: The Ministry of Interior continues its operations in various field sectors to ensure smooth traffic flow on all roads, coinciding with the return of civilian employees to their workplaces at 100 percent capacity on Sunday and the resumption of in-person classes for high school after a hiatus of more than 60 days following the Iranian aggression against the country in February and the subsequent implementation of distance learning to guarantee the safety of everyone. The newspaper obtained information from a security source that Undersecretary of the Ministry Major General Abdulwahab Al-Wahib issued a circular mandating the return to 100 percent attendance for civilian staff starting Sunday, as per the directive of the Civil Service Commission

(CSC) Regarding the reinstatement of the official working hours. According to the source, the decision covers employees under the official seven-hour per day work system, along with the adoption of the morning shift system. Evening shifts will be organized at the discretion of the relevant authorities and in accordance with the nature of work. In related news, Minister of Education Eng. Sayed Jalal Al-Tabtabaei convened an extensive meeting with ministry officials on Thursday. The meeting focused on the mechanisms and procedures for implementing the decision, effective Sunday.

Al-Tabtabaei instructed officials in the Educational Affairs Sector to proceed with the resumption of in-person classes in public and private secondary schools. He stressed that final examinations must be conducted in person, underscoring the need to prepare and administer new exams that take into account the reduced curriculum, in line with the remaining duration of the academic year, while ensuring that students have adequate review sessions covering the material taught during the distance learning period. He highlighted the importance of setting dates for final examinations for all three secondary school levels and adjusting the academic calendar accordingly.

As part of organizing the educational process, he emphasized the need to unify curricula at the secondary level in public schools, religious schools and adult education programs, while streamlining content to suit the remaining time in the academic year and focusing on comprehensive revision of the material covered. He also issued a directive that the school day schedule for secondary levels be adjusted to prioritize core subjects, and that teaching staff attendance be organized according to approved schedules, indicating teachers are required to conduct their assigned classes and permitted to leave immediately afterward.

Regarding other educational levels, he confirmed the continuation of distance learning for kindergarten, primary and intermediate stages in public, private and religious schools, as well as adult education and literacy programs. He said teachers and administrative staff will continue working remotely, and student assessment processes will proceed at these levels. He instructed the development of a clear mechanism for evaluating intermediate- level students, with a detailed circular outlining this mechanism to be distributed to technical supervisors and school administrations.

On special education schools, and in light of the circumstances of students with disabilities, it was decided that teachers must attend in person in public and private institutions offering specialized education. Student attendance in these schools will remain optional, subject to parental preference. For schools under the Special Education Department that follow the general education curriculum, distance learning will continue for kindergarten, primary and intermediate levels, while secondary school students will return to inperson classes.

Regarding private schools, Al-Tabtabaei explained that given their particular circumstances, they will be granted flexibility to choose between resuming in-person classes or continuing distance learning for secondary school students only, depending on the applicable foreign curricula. Final examinations, however, will be conducted in person for all secondary school classes, effective immediately. High schools in Kuwait reopens Sunday to receive students, marking the resumption of in-person learning in a step that reflects the country’s firm approach to balancing educational field safety as a top priority with sustaining the learning process.

Since the onset of the exceptional circumstances caused by the Iranian aggression, the State demonstrated notable flexibility by swiftly transitioning to distance learning, relying on advanced digital infrastructure and continuously updated platforms to ensure smooth and uninterrupted education delivery. On the organizational level, the Ministry of Education adopted a detailed plan via Microsoft Teams, setting five daily classes of 25 minutes for theoretical subjects, while kindergartens followed a non-synchronous system with four recorded sessions daily, and adult education centers maintained five classes. Technical support teams across educational districts were tasked with resolving platform issues, while the Information Systems Department ensured system efficiency and cybersecurity, addressing any technical challenges or threats to digital infrastructure promptly.

The Ministry also updated the “Salem and Abeer” application to align with kindergarten curricula, offering interactive content including questions, activities, and educational games tailored to young learners. In response to prevailing conditions, short exams were postponed on March 9 and again on March 24 to ease psychological pressure on students, before introducing an “achievement assessment” mechanism on April 19 as an alternative evaluation method for core subjects. Further adjustments included revising school hours for secondary students, with a schedule running from 9:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., comprising six 35-minute classes daily to enhance learning quality and content distribution.

Educational continuity was maintained through coordinated efforts among school administrations, technical supervision, and teaching staff, ensuring lessons and assessments proceeded smoothly via digital platforms. To enrich learning resources, the Ministry launched a digital library with 1,417 digitized books and documents, while also executing a comprehensive plan to deliver school textbooks to students’ homes through 500 service points using school buses and available logistical resources. Parallel to crisis management, development efforts continued through initiatives such as the artificial intelligence project, specialized training workshops for outstanding students, and programs to identify and nurture talent.

The Ministry also began preparations for the 2026/2027 academic year by conducting detailed studies on staffing needs, organizing transfer requests, and carrying out field inspections to ensure school safety and maintenance through “Balligh” platform. In promoting community partnership, the Ministry analyzed results of a public survey on curricula via the government “Sahel” application, aiming to incorporate feedback from educators and parents into continuous improvement efforts. Psychological support was reinforced through activating “IstaShir” platform, providing confidential social and mental health consultations by qualified national professionals to support students and their families. Minister of Education Jalal Al-Tabtabaei has chaired a series of meetings since February 28 to closely monitor the educational process and ensure continuity under the highest safety standards, stressing that student welfare remains the central pillar guiding all decisions. The Ministry emphasized ongoing coordination with relevant state bodies to monitor developments and ensure that all measures prioritize safety while maintaining stability of the educational system.

The Cabinet had approved the return of in-person attendance for all secondary students and staff starting Sunday, with the Ministry affirming full readiness to implement the decision through a comprehensive and organized plan. It noted that all administrative and organizational details related to the return would be announced, alongside integrated plans for each educational stage to ensure efficiency, stability, and balance between the rights and duties of students and teachers. Kuwait had shifted to distance learning across all stages on February 28 following more than 40 days of Iranian aggression, which resulted in casualties, including the martyrdom of members of the Kuwaiti armed forces and border security personnel, as well as injuries and damage to infrastructure.

By Munif Naif and Inaas Awadh Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff and Agencies