By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: The private education department at the ministry of education reversed a decision that allowed schools to require teachers to work up to five hours a day from March 1 to 12, when schools were closed by a Cabinet decision. In an exclusive interview with Kuwait Times, Manager of the Private Education Department Sanad Al-Mutairi explained that a circular was sent to all private schools on Sunday allowing the schools to have teachers work up to five hours daily on campus. However, after a meeting of education officials yesterday morning, this decision has been cancelled.

"This morning, officials from the education ministry held a meeting and decided to cancel the five hours and not allow schools to require teachers to come to work," he told Kuwait Times during an interview at the private education department offices in Mubarak Al-Kabeer. The private education department is a sub-department within the ministry of education that oversees and organizes private and foreign schools in Kuwait.

On Feb 26, official government spokesman Tarek Al-Mazrem announced a Cabinet decision suspending all learning in schools from March 1 to 12 as a precautionary measure due to the rise in coronavirus infections in the country. On March 1, the private education department issued the widely-shared circular allowing schools to require five hours of work from teachers daily. The circular also addressed the issue of e-learning, although an official decision in this regard remains to be finalized by the education ministry.

Mutairi confirmed that private schools are not allowed to require students or teachers or any worker to come to school. "The period of suspension of work in schools determined by the decision of the Council of Ministers referred to March 1 to 12," he said. There are dozens of foreign private schools in Kuwait with thousands of teachers living and working in the country.