After a Wave of Criticism.. The Kuwaiti Ministry of Education Opens the Door for Appeals on Teacher Transfer Decisions

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The Kuwaiti Ministry of Education has opened the door for submitting grievances regarding the electronic transfer decisions for members of the educational and supervisory bodies in schools, for those included in the transfer decisions issued on October 6, starting from October 7 until October 9, following a wave of objections and criticisms raised by the decisions to redistribute teachers.

The ministry has allowed the submission of grievance requests electronically, clarifying the reasons for the objection and tracking the status of the request via the platform, without the need to submit paper documents or to attend in person at the ministry's offices.

The ministry had issued 8,703 transfer decisions as part of the redistribution procedures, which included 8,310 decisions for teachers from various specialties, in addition to 393 decisions for holders of educational supervisory positions. It clarified that the average distance of the transfers was 11.2 kilometers, according to controls and standards based on the actual needs of the schools, the number of classes and learners, educational quotas, and the approved organizational structure.

However, the transfer decisions were met with anger and rejection among teachers, amid criticisms of the way the decisions were issued, their timing, and the distribution mechanism. Educational circles circulated objections to some of the transfer results, considering that the decisions caused confusion among several of those affected.

The intensity of the reactions to the local press coverage was reflected, as the newspaper "Al-Qabas" headlined its commentary on the transfer decisions with a strong phrase, describing them as having come "in the dead of night," considering that they revealed, in its expression, "unprecedented improvisation and confusion," which ended in "blatant chaos" and "absurd and shocking results."

On the other hand, the Ministry of Education confirmed that the provision of the grievance service comes within the framework of its commitment to establishing principles of transparency, enabling those affected by the transfer decisions to present their objections, and providing the opportunity to study and consider the requests according to the approved controls and criteria.

The Ministry of Education had announced the actual implementation of the decisions to redistribute teachers and educational supervisory positions among schools, as part of a plan to reorganize the distribution of the workforce, in accordance with the directives of the Minister of Education, Jlal Al-Tabatabai.

The plan aims to achieve a greater balance in the distribution of personnel according to the actual needs of schools, enhance stability in educational institutions, and direct human resources to the most needed locations, serving the interests of the learner and improving the efficiency of the educational process.

The ministry clarified that the transfer decisions reach the concerned individuals electronically via the "My Decisions" service on the ministry's official website and its application, calling on those affected by the decisions to review them and start working in their new locations, and to complete the fingerprint transfer procedures according to the approved controls.

In contrast, the ministry indicated that the implementation of redistribution decisions contributed to raising the percentage of addressing the disparity in the distribution of male and female teachers and those occupying educational supervisory positions between schools from 34% to 82%.

It confirmed that the average distance for public transport for those transferred did not exceed 11.2 kilometers, considering that this reflects the effort to balance meeting the actual needs of schools while taking into account the job stability of educational staff.

However, the ministry acknowledged the remaining percentage of disparity, clarifying that the remaining part is primarily related to the existence of actual surpluses in some specializations and subjects, including Islamic education and physical education.

According to the ministry, the number of male and female teachers in some of these specializations still exceeds the actual needs of schools, even after completing the redistribution procedures, which limits the possibility of fully addressing the surpluses through transfers between schools at this stage.

The ministry confirmed its continued monitoring of these cases and working to address them according to actual needs and field variables, aiming for a level of balance, efficiency, and sustainability in the distribution of the workforce.