KUWAIT: As part of continuous support and collaboration between Kuwait and Palestine, the ministry of education decided on March 26 to contract Palestinian and Jordanian teachers living in Jordan in needed scientific disciplines as part of early preparation for the next academic year. On October 7, Kuwait opened the door to bringing families of Palestinian teachers to Kuwait. On October 23, the Women’s Cultural and Social Society opened its doors to Palestinian teachers who lost their families and relatives in Zionist airstrikes.

Official sources in the ministry of education said the ministry will send the foreign contracting committee to Jordan only, after it had previously sent it to Jordan and Palestine, to contract with teachers of physics, mathematics and chemistry. “The events in Palestine prevent the contracting committee from entering Palestinian land. Therefore, we can only contract with Jordanian and Palestinian teachers who are in Jordan,” they clarified.

The sources pointed out the contracts in Jordan will be limited to Jordanian and Palestinian teachers only, and others will not be contracted even if the contracting committee cannot find a sufficient number. “The plan is to bring in around 300 teachers,” the sources said. They made clear that the foreign contracting committee will not go to Egypt as reported, explaining that contracts with Jordanian and Palestinian teachers in Jordan will meet the need.

“The committee will go to Jordan at the end of May with the aim of finalizing contracts early and ensuring the arrival of contracted teachers before mid-August,” sources indicated. The ministry of education had previously identified its needs for the next academic year 2024-2025 from Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti faculty members, with 1,601 teachers from various disciplines and subjects in government schools in various educational zones.

According to official figures, the ministry needed 699 teachers in 15 different disciplines and 902 teachers in 6 disciplines: Arabic, English, mathematics, physics, chemistry and computer. According to KUNA, this number is gradually rising. In 2017, Kuwait contracted 180 Palestinian teachers. One of the teachers said that they have come to consolidate relations between the two countries as work in Kuwait is known for its comfort and harmony.

“Kuwaitis are our people and brothers, and this good land is the home of peaceful coexistence and acceptance of the other, and it has embraced Arab communities since time immemorial,” the teacher added. “I will give everything I have for the renaissance of education in Kuwait and raise the name of the Palestinian teacher to high standards,” another teacher said, noting that it is the first time she left her country.

“I consider Kuwait as my second country and I am prepared to provide the highest service in my power, which is helping with the education of Kuwait’s children,” she stressed. Another teacher said: “We traveled 1,800 km to Kuwait in order to prove to the world that the Palestinian teacher is part of the Arab and Islamic people, and a brother to the Kuwaiti teacher. We will work in turn to strengthen the bond between the Kuwaiti and Palestinian peoples.”

In 2019, the number reached over 350 teachers, while last August Kuwait contracted with 531 Palestinian teachers, as part of Kuwait’s insistence to stand its ground with the Palestinian people who can provide the skills and the incentives to make a difference during their time in Kuwait.