KUWAIT: The criminal court yesterday sentenced an Egyptian female teacher to one year in jail with a KD 1,000 bail to suspend the sentence in a case in which she is accused of causing the death of one of her pupils. The child's parents argued that the teacher had beaten their son in class despite knowing of his health condition and that she did not rush to rescue him when he collapsed inside the classroom. But the teacher strongly denied the charges and stressed that the child was very troublesome in class, never listened or adhered to instructions and that she did not beat him. "I only shouted at him," she stressed. However, the boy's father vowed he would file an appeal so that the teacher gets the punishment "she deserves."

In other news, well-informed sources said the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs prepared a draft charter to regulate recruitment and that it would be put into practice when Minister Fahd Al-Shula signs it by December at most. The sources added that according to the new charter, hiring of non-Kuwaitis will be curbed and limited to technical and computer-related jobs. The sources added at least 50 percent of expats working evening hours in various departments would be terminated, with the exemption of bedoons with valid security IDs.

By A Saleh