Ministry of Education: Approval of Official and Flexible Working Hours for Teachers and Administrators for the 2026/2027 Academic Year
Alaa Khalifa: Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Khaled Al-Rashid has issued a decision regarding the determination of official working hours and flexible shifts for staff members in schools, including teaching and administrative personnel across all educational stages, for the 2026/2027 academic year. This applies to general education schools, private schools (Arabic schools), religious education institutes, and special education schools, as part of efforts to organize work schedules and ensure the continuity of the educational process.
The decision stipulates the official start and end times for all teaching and administrative staff across all stages of general education as follows:
* Kindergarten: From 6:45 a.m. to 12:05 p.m.
* Primary Stage: From 6:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
* Intermediate Stage: From 7:00 a.m. to 1:40 p.m.
* Secondary Stage: From 7:15 a.m. to 1:55 p.m.
The decision also set the start and end times for flexible shifts for all teaching and administrative staff in general education, as follows:
* Kindergarten: Start from 6:45 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., and end from 11:35 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.
* Primary Stage: Start from 6:45 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., and end from 12:45 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
* Intermediate Stage: Start from 6:55 a.m. to 7:40 a.m., and end from 1:05 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.
* Secondary Stage: Start from 7:10 a.m. to 7:55 a.m., and end from 1:20 p.m. to 2:05 p.m.
Regarding religious education institutes, the decision determined the official start and end times for all teaching and administrative staff as follows:
* Primary Stage: From 6:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
* Intermediate Stage: From 7:00 a.m. to 1:40 p.m.
* Secondary Stage: From 7:00 a.m. to 1:40 p.m.
Flexible shift times in religious education were set as follows:
* Primary Stage: Start from 6:45 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., and end from 12:45 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
* Intermediate Stage: Start from 6:55 a.m. to 7:40 a.m., and end from 1:05 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.
* Secondary Stage: Start from 6:55 a.m. to 7:40 a.m., and end from 1:05 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.
With regard to special education schools, the decision stipulated that official start and end times for all stages would be as follows:
* Kindergarten: From 6:45 a.m. to 12:05 p.m.
* Primary Stage: From 6:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
* Intermediate Stage: From 6:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
* Secondary Stage: From 6:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Flexible shift times in special education schools were set as follows:
* Kindergarten: Start from 6:45 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., and end from 11:35 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.
* Primary Stage: Start from 6:45 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., and end from 12:45 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
* Intermediate Stage: Start from 6:45 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., and end from 12:45 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
* Secondary Stage: Start from 6:45 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., and end from 12:45 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The decision clarified that the nature of flexible shifts is designed to provide flexibility for teaching and administrative staff in choosing their start and end times, in alignment with the operational needs of school work, while remaining consistent with the nature of educational work.
The decision set the following controls for flexible shift times:
* Teaching staff are permitted to work flexible shifts in accordance with daily class schedules, with full commitment to all lessons.
* School administration (principal, deputy principal, department head) must monitor compliance with official shifts according to established systems.
* Late arrival hours are calculated after the expiration of grace periods. In cases where working hours are not completed, relevant regulations will be applied.
* Attendance must be recorded via fingerprint within 60 minutes after two hours from the start of the shift. Failure to comply will be considered unauthorized absence, and the duration will be counted toward monthly delays in accordance with Article 18 of Civil Service Council Decision No. 6 of 2024.
* Reduced working hours are permitted, provided that the shift does not fall below five hours daily in accordance with Law No. 21 of 2015 concerning Children’s Rights. Combining reduced hours with flexible shifts or grace periods is not allowed.
* Workers are subject to the controls of Law No. 8 of 2010 concerning the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its supplementary decisions, including regulations governing sick leave and duties outside the workplace.
The decision emphasized the necessity for school administration to ensure the presence of a principal or deputy principal during student hours and until the end of the official shift, with the stage supervisor responsible for monitoring this. In case of non-compliance, a memo must be submitted to the competent authorities to take the prescribed measures in accordance with Civil Service Council Decision No. 41 of 2006.
The decision organized the shifts for holders of technical advisor positions (Director of Technical Guidance Administration, Technical Guidance Supervisor, Technical Advisor), subjecting them to the flexible shift system similar to administrative employees, with the obligation to record attendance and departure via fingerprint and to submit approved monthly reports on visit and follow-up plans. They are also permitted to benefit from the controls outlined in Administrative Decision No. 340 of 2022 related to the rights of persons with disabilities.
