The Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Eng. Abdullatif Al-Mishari made a commendable decision to approve the Municipal Council’s proposal to close private schools in residential areas, a move that is expected to help ease traffic congestion. However, there is an ongoing concern about the government’s tendency to issue decisions without conducting thorough studies of their implications or consulting specialists. Such a pattern often leads to the reconsideration and eventual reversal of these decisions, resulting in significant financial losses for both the state and the public.

This highlights a critical issue - the need to reduce financial waste. The annual cost per student in Kuwait’s public schools is approximately KD 5,300. Given that a non-Kuwaiti student in the private sector incurs a similar expense, this high figure, especially when compared to the 400 to 1,000 euros spent per student in European Union countries, warrants scrutiny. If these funds were used effectively, Kuwait could significantly enhance its educational competitiveness. It is also noteworthy that many expatriate families currently choose to send their children abroad for education.

Furthermore, the current right of usufruct for state-owned land requires clarification. It must be determined whether it will guarantee the long-term continuity essential for educational institutions or remain subject to the same uncertainties faced by holdings in the industrial, service, and agricultural sectors. A second major concern is the severe traffic congestion, which leads to wasted time and money and is caused by the concentration of private schools in certain areas. This is further compounded by a new condition in the decision requiring each school to obtain approval from the General Traffic Department and submit an individually approved traffic study from specialized authorities. Given that schools are vital institutions responsible for producing valuable contributors to society and the state, they require a supportive and stable environment. Allocating dedicated areas for educational facilities would naturally help achieve this balance. Since schools are permanent institutions dedicated to educating future generations, the current usufruct system is inadequate and undermines both administrative and educational stability. Therefore, selling these areas directly to schools is the primary solution to ensure their long-term continuity.

Such a measure would benefit the state, school owners, citizens, and residents alike. Designating specific areas for schools, complete with independent services, roads, and access points, would create the quiet, distraction-free environment essential for effective learning. An alternative approach would be to allocate these lands to entities such as the Public Institution for Social Security and other Kuwaiti funds, which could construct educational facilities and then sell or lease them to school owners. The establishment of comprehensive educational complexes, including primary, intermediate, secondary, and even university facilities, in designated areas within some Gulf countries and equipped with all necessary services offers substantial benefits.

This centralized approach results in huge savings for the state, particularly in meeting the educational needs of large expatriate communities. By supporting the education of their children, these complexes contribute to the social and economic stability of expatriate communities and help facilitate their successful integration into the local environment. Implementing a school complex in every residential area would therefore represent a major advantage for both the state and society. Such a strategy would drive meaningful economic growth while saving considerable time and money. The current situation, in which schools are not conveniently located, severely impacts efficiency. International statistics highlight the extent of traffic congestion in Kuwait, indicating that individuals lose an estimated 82 hours annually, a problem that is particularly acute during school dropoff and dismissal times. This has had a negative impact on traffic safety, placing Kuwait at 216th globally. Ad-hoc or economically harmful solutions do not address this systemic issue and often exacerbate it. A decentralized, complex-based approach is therefore necessary to solve the problem.