KUWAIT: Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Bader Al-Essa receives students who won the International Robot Competition. — KUNA

KUWAIT: A ministerial resolution will be issued in the coming days to restore the old system of raising private schools' fees by three percent annually, Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Bader Al-Essa said on Thursday

The ministry had issued a decision in this respect but it remained under study at the parliament, Minister Essa told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on the sidelines of receiving students who won the International Robot Competition. He explained that the parliamentary educational affairs committee, examining the relevant decision, has not taken a decision yet.

The ministry now is inclining to hike the fees annually by three percent, Dr Essa said. However, he indicated that the fees raise ceiling would be open in the future. The decision will be applicable on new students and not those registered in the 2016-2017 scholastic year, the minister said.

Dr Essa had issued a ministerial decree last month aimed at halting private school fee hikes, and warned schools violating the decree that they would receive a warning letter, followed by suspension if the educational facility continues with the violation. The decree stressed that any additional expenses and charges taken unlawfully by the violating schools should be returned in accordance with the new decision.

Earlier this year, the National Assembly approved a recommendation stipulating that all fee increases by private schools must be suspended immediately until a parliamentary committee reviews the issue with the minister of education. The recommendation was passed following strong criticism by MPs against a number of private foreign schools that unilaterally raised their fees before obtaining a permit from the ministry. Dr Essa had said the government accepted the recommendation, adding that the ministry had formed a committee to study the issue of fees at private schools.

Students honored

Meanwhile, Dr Essa honored a number of Kuwaiti students who have shown excellence in their scientific research. He noted the distinction of a group of students who recently won prizes in a contest dealing with robotics in Romania and made honorable mention of two female students, Huda Al-Rasheed and Munira Al-Rakhees, whose scientific research was hailed by the Paris Institute of Political Studies, a press statement by the minister said. He congratulated all the students on their commendable achievements in scientific research.

Kuwait University President, Dr Hussein Al-Ansari, said Huda and Munira were selected along with four others from among 180 students worldwide to receive accolades for their post-graduate research papers in economics. Munira Al-Rakhees said her research paper deals with the impact of gender inequality on economic growth in the Arab world, stressing that she collected data from 19 Arab countries toward writing her study.

Huda Al Rasheed said that her research paper deals with the importance of foreign direct investment on Arab economies. Dr Ansari noted that the prizes given to Huda and Munira by Sciences Po for their excellent papers stems from an existing partnership between the French institution and Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS).