Al-Hamad: 82% of Teacher Surplus Issues Resolved

Alaa Khalifa: Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs at the Ministry of Education, Eng. Hamad Al-Hamad, stated that the teacher registry would be linked to the student registry to determine the actual need for each subject. He noted that a school’s actual staffing requirement is determined by the number of teachers required for each subject, with a 7% reserve for male teachers and a 20% reserve for female teachers.

Al-Hamad pointed out that three department heads in the same specialization were identified in a single school, and two of them were transferred to address the imbalance. He added that surplus staff had been addressed, raising the percentage of schools where corrections were made to 82%. He emphasized that more time is needed to fully resolve 100% of the surpluses, noting that the average distance teachers were relocated between their previous and new schools was 11.2 kilometers. He clarified that transfer priorities were based on fairness, transparency, and seniority of appointment.

Al-Hamad affirmed that the stability of students and teachers is a priority, and that surplus adjustments were made to serve educational interests.

In a related development, Al-Hamad revealed that 66 female teachers were found in one school in Ahmadi, which constitutes a surplus. Additionally, 12 decoration teachers were identified at the Religious Institute despite not teaching the subject. He explained that these figures reflected the previous situation and that a committee had been formed to redistribute staff.

Al-Hamad stressed the Ministry’s efforts to achieve balance in teacher numbers across schools in various specializations. He noted that the Ministry held a meeting with the Minister of Education several months ago to discuss the teaching staff numbers, revealing disparities among different programs. He described this disparity as “unacceptable,” adding that the Minister directed the formation of a specialized committee to unify numbers and ensure accurate teacher counts, thereby guaranteeing data precision and proper distribution of educational staff.

He indicated that teacher shortages and complaints from parents via the “Sahl” platform contributed to the high volume of transfer requests, noting that the electronic system automatically rejects transfer requests when there is a surplus of teachers.

Al-Hamad noted that the Ministry employs 91,000 teachers, and staffing needs are reassessed at the beginning of each academic term. He explained that periodic reviews of teacher numbers are conducted to address any shortages or surpluses, emphasizing that disparities during the academic year require continuous monitoring of needs.

Al-Hamad added, “We have not transferred any teacher to Al-Zahra Kindergarten. We call for accuracy and referring to official sources. The Ministry applies governance according to the organizational structure, with three assistant directors and one department head per subject.”

He further clarified that the transfer of supervisory position holders was based on the criterion of most recent promotion, noting that the Minister directed consideration of humanitarian and exceptional cases related to distance.

He mentioned that an appeals process has been opened for teachers, with each case reviewed and appropriate decisions made. He pointed out that an electronic platform allows teachers to easily object to transfer decisions.

He added, “We have contacted faculties of education to halt admissions in specializations with significant surpluses. Teacher transfers typically continue until October 1 of each year. We reassure parents that a teacher will be provided for students in every subject.”

Al-Hamad concluded, “Our message to teachers and parents is that our goal is the stability of the school environment. Reform is a long journey that requires patience.”