Minister of Education issues a decree establishing the position of "Trainee Teacher" and its eligibility conditions
Alaa Khalifa
In a move aimed at enhancing the quality of educational staff and preparing new teachers to enter the educational field on the basis of clear professional and training standards, and within the framework of developing the educational jobs system and raising the efficiency of its incumbents, the Ministry of Education continues its efforts to organize career paths for teachers, ensuring their qualification before transitioning to the functional levels of teaching staff members.
In implementation of Legislative Decree-Law No. (86) of 2026, Minister of Education Eng. Syed Jalal Al-Tabatabai issued a decision establishing the job title “Trainee Teacher” within the Ministry of Education, and specifying the conditions and controls for holding the position, in accordance with the provisions of the Legislative Decree-Law replacing Table No. (1) attached to Law No. (28) of 2011 concerning the granting of allowances and bonuses to Kuwaiti members of the teaching staff at the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs.
The Ministry of Education clarified that the decision, without prejudice to acquired rights, established the job title “Trainee Teacher” among educational job titles, with the requirement that the applicant’s academic qualification be a university degree.
The Ministry of Education indicated that the “Trainee Teacher” functional level is initially held for a period of one year, during which the teacher undergoes a training program. The Ministry determines the conditions, controls, and mechanism for passing this program via a decision by the Minister of Education. It noted that the salary during this stage is determined according to the financial grade assigned, without receiving the allowances and bonuses stipulated for teaching staff members, which include the functional level bonus, the incentive bonus, the teaching allowance, and the rare specialty allowance.
The Ministry of Education added that if the Trainee Teacher passes the training program, they transition to holding the functional levels for teaching staff positions listed in the table attached to Legislative Decree-Law No. (86) of 2026, in accordance with the conditions and controls stipulated for holding each level, along with any additional conditions determined by the Civil Service Council and the Ministry of Education regarding the technical progression of functional levels.
The Ministry pointed out that if the Trainee Teacher fails to pass the training program, they are transferred to hold an administrative position within the Ministry of Education, provided they hold a university educational qualification (Bachelor of Education) from the Faculty of Education at Kuwait University or from the Basic Education College of the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training.
It was clarified that if the Trainee Teacher does not hold the aforementioned university educational qualification, their file is referred to the Diwan of Civil Service for assignment to another government entity under a job title appropriate to their obtained qualification.
The Ministry of Education emphasized that the decision takes effect from the date of its issuance, and all concerned parties are required to be aware of and act in accordance with it, with any previous decisions conflicting with it being repealed.
