KUWAIT: The Ministry of Education began back-to-school plans a bit early, preparing new contracts and extending cleaning workers' deals, while opting against hiring new staff for catering at kindergartens for the next academic year starting September 2022. Speaking to Kuwait Times, sources working at the Ministry confirmed that the ministry has officially signed a contract to provide buses in three educational zones for this coming year. The ministry plans to sign similar contracts for the remaining districts by the end of this week, the sources added.

Furthermore, the ministry plans to extend cleaning and security workers' contracts at all five educational zones for an additional three years, the sources noted. In the meantime, the ministry has no plans to add kindergarten catering staff for next year, which will help move catering tenders smoothly, the sources further noted.

The source also made clear that the Ministry of Education did not receive any official letter about the new budget to set the official financial plan the coming academic year, which is said to be announced in July. "In all circumstances, spending won't be a big issue now that the government has green lighted support to anything related to government schools in Kuwait, such as offering sport for the educational sector and provide management and teaching staff for a successful academic year," the sources explained.

Sources have also stated that the Ministry will start next month accepting and signing contracts with teachers from Jordan and Palestine who are willing to teach during the new academic year. Signing new teachers will help vacate empty teaching slots in new schools as new Kuwaiti teachers, either recent graduates from Kuwait University or graduates holding a diploma in Education, offer to teach; and they will become a higher priority in employment, followed by GCC citizens, bedoons and children of Kuwaiti women, whose acceptance will only be confirmed on demand.