Kuwait begins teacher termination drive amid staff surplus
Ministry targets surplus teachers in schools while protecting rights and reducing salary costs
Kuwait’s Ministry of Education has started sending termination notices to 7,019 teachers of Arab and other nationalities as part of a plan to reduce the large surplus of teaching staff in government schools.
Affected teachers are receiving the notice through the government’s Sahel app under the title “Contract Termination Notice,” according to local reports.
The notices say the ministry is moving ahead with the termination of their second contracts while they are still valid, in line with the relevant contract terms and notice period.
The move comes after a ministry review found a surplus of about 33,268 teachers across different subjects and school stages. The ministry said the restructuring will be done step by step, with staffing levels linked more closely to the real needs of schools.
The first phase covers 7,019 teachers, including 1,551 men and 5,468 women. Published ministry figures say this step is expected to reduce yearly salary spending by around KD42 million.
The ministry said the affected teachers work in specialisations where there are more staff than needed. The surplus includes subjects such as Arabic, English, Islamic education, art, music, mathematics, science, physical education and some secondary school subjects, depending on the school stage and whether the school is for boys or girls.
Officials said teachers whose services are being ended will be notified through Sahel following the approved administrative and legal procedures. They also said the employment rights of the teachers will remain protected.
The restructuring is also part of Kuwait’s plan to increase the hiring of qualified nationals in teaching roles where enough local talent is available, while still recruiting from abroad for subjects that continue to face shortages.
AI contributed to the creation of this article.