Acceptance of 1,311 appeals regarding teachers' redistribution decisions after completing review and study

Alaa Khalifa: The Ministry of Education announced the completion of its review of appeal requests submitted by teaching staff members subject to the redistribution decisions. A specialized committee was tasked with reviewing and classifying these requests according to the nature of the cases and the approved criteria and regulations, aiming to balance the actual needs of schools with the legitimate humanitarian and social circumstances of teachers.

The Ministry clarified that the review of appeals resulted in the acceptance of 1,311 appeals registered in the electronic system, following the examination of requests and verification of supporting documents, ensuring compliance with approved conditions and standards. This process guaranteed fairness, objectivity, and uniformity in handling similar cases.

The Ministry stated that the appeal review relied on specific criteria and regulations, including the distance between the residential address and the new school (not less than 16 kilometers), health conditions, cases involving care for persons with disabilities and special needs, health-related care circumstances, and social and family conditions warranting consideration, all based on approved official documents and reports.

The Ministry noted that some of these cases involved circumstances not available in the “Teacher Record” system, necessitating verification through official documents and reports attached to the appeal requests to ensure accurate assessment and compliance with specified standards.

The Ministry emphasized that all appeal requests underwent review and scrutiny in accordance with approved regulations. Requests that were not accepted were found, after thorough study, to have failed to meet the specified conditions and standards. It stressed that the results of the appeal review were based on uniform standards, ensuring fairness and equal opportunity.

The Ministry directed teaching staff members subject to the redistribution decisions, including those whose appeals were approved, to monitor the decisions issued regarding them via the “My Decisions” service on the Ministry’s website to complete administrative procedures related to releasing their current positions and commencing work at their assigned schools. These procedures are carried out electronically through the “Teacher and Administrative Record” system. The principal of the previous school is responsible for approving the release, while the principal of the new school approves the commencement of work. Biometric data is automatically transferred electronically upon approval of the commencement, eliminating the need to visit administrative offices, thereby ensuring swift processing and continuity of work in schools.

The Ministry also announced the results of the teaching staff redistribution following the completion of the appeal review. The percentage of teaching loads falling within appropriate limits reached 75% across all educational regions, compared to 34% before the plan’s implementation, reflecting the continued positive impact of the redistribution in promoting fairness and balance in teaching loads among schools.

The Ministry indicated that the redistribution results showed an increase in the percentage of teachers whose teaching loads fall within approved limits across all educational regions. Specifically, the percentage rose in the Capital Educational Region from 36% to 84%, in both the Farwaniya and Mubarak Al-Kabeer Educational Regions from 38% to 82% each, in the Hawalli Educational Region from 32% to 73%, in the Ahmadi Educational Region from 36% to 70%, and in the Jahra Educational Region from 30% to 64%.

The Ministry confirmed that these indicators reflect the progress achieved in addressing disparities in teaching loads among schools, and in promoting a fair and balanced distribution of educational responsibilities, in accordance with the number of classrooms, students, and the actual needs of each school, thereby contributing to enhancing the efficiency of utilizing available teaching staff. Regarding the continued rise in teaching loads in certain subjects, the Ministry clarified that this is linked to shortages of teaching personnel in some specializations, noting that the redistribution has helped alleviate disparities and address part of the existing needs, while efforts continue to tackle the remaining shortages according to the specific requirements of each specialization, thereby supporting the regularity of classes and the stability of the educational process.

The Ministry of Education emphasized that the administrative reform plan is part of its efforts to address observations raised in reports by oversight bodies concerning the efficiency of teacher distribution across educational districts, and to enhance the optimal use of human resources, in alignment with the goals of sustainable development, particularly Goal 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

The Ministry further explained that indicators in the reports showed a decline in the average number of students per teacher nationwide, from five students in the 2022/2023 academic year to four students in the 2024/2025 academic year, coinciding with ongoing disparities in the distribution of teaching staff among schools and educational districts, underscoring the importance of reorganizing human resources according to actual needs and improving the efficiency of utilizing available personnel.