Expat psychiatrists and social workers sacked without Kuwaiti replacements

The Kuwaiti Civil Service Commission decision to sack expat social workers and psychiatrists working in schools and replace them with Kuwaiti nationals is being heavily criticised.

Education Ministry unionist Saleh al Azmi is urging Kuwait’s Civil Service Commission to reverse its decision to sack 214 expat social workers and psychiatrists employed in the emirate’s public schools before finding suitable Kuwaiti replacements. According to Azmi, the decision was hasty and didn’t take into account possible consequences to the education programme due to the lack of qualified, specialist Kuwaitis in the sector.

Al Azmi told local media the emirate’s public education can’t be successfully managed simply by handing down orders which don’t relate to the sector’s actual needs, adding that citizens are reluctant to take on positions in schools as social workers and psychologists as the low pay isn’t commensurate with the job responsibilities. Such workers are paid less than teachers, and have more responsibility, he said, adding that finding enough suitably qualified and experienced citizens via local recruitment to cover the numbers sacked is likely to be impossible.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Education human resources manager Saud al Juwaiser confirmed the ministry has now authorised the recruitment of non-Kuwaiti teachers for the coming school year. Male teachers in the fields of English, French, the sciences, maths, art and crafts are required, along with female teachers of maths, physics, music and art. Apparently, Bedouin teachers will be exempted from the requirement of experience in their fields and visitors’ applications will not be considered. Applicants should not be older than 42 years and their certificates must be endorsed.