Education Ministry: Supervisory Positions Reduced from 845 to 613

Alaa Khalifa: Minister of Education, Dr. Sayed Jalal Al-Tabatabai, issued a decision approving amendments to the Ministry’s organizational structure, aimed at curbing administrative bloat, redistributing competencies and responsibilities, and merging several departments and organizational units with similar characteristics.

The Ministry stated that the new structural amendments include reducing the number of General Director positions from 14 to 10, a decrease of approximately 28.6%, alongside cuts in the number of Department Director positions from 72 to 63, Administrative Inspector positions from 260 to 197, and Section Head positions from 482 to 331.

It added that the total number of positions in the organizational structure will decline from 845 to 613, a reduction of 232 positions, representing a cut of about 27.5%. This reflects the Ministry’s orientation toward building a leaner administrative structure based on rationalizing supervisory levels, more balanced distribution of workloads and responsibilities, and enhanced efficiency of organizational units.

For further details: Reduction of General Directors from 14 to 10, Department Directors from 72 to 63, Inspectors to 197, and Section Heads from 482 to 331, with 232 supervisory posts eliminated. New amendments to the “Education” structure: Supervisory positions cut to 613.

Alaa Khalifa: Minister of Education, Dr. Sayed Jalal Al-Tabatabai, issued a decision approving amendments to the Ministry’s organizational structure, encompassing a package of administrative and organizational changes aimed at curbing administrative bloat, redistributing competencies and responsibilities, and merging several departments and organizational units with similar characteristics.

The Ministry said the new amendments were based on continuous review of the practical implementation results of the organizational structure, as well as studying comments and proposals submitted by employees across various sectors and departments of the Ministry. This enabled an assessment of actual work needs, identification of required development areas, and implementation of amendments ensuring greater flexibility in distributing competencies and defining responsibilities.

It emphasized that the decision mandates all concerned entities, within their respective jurisdictions, to implement its provisions and act accordingly from the date of approval of the amended detailed competency cards. It also requires completing the placement of all employees in organizational units within the integrated civil service systems, while confirming the cancellation of any previous decisions conflicting with the decision’s provisions, thereby ensuring unified organizational references and adopting the amended structure as the fundamental framework for organizing work.

The Ministry clarified that the new structural amendments include reducing the number of General Director positions from 14 to 10, a decrease of approximately 28.6%, alongside cuts in the number of Department Director positions from 72 to 63, Administrative Inspector positions from 260 to 197, and Section Head positions from 482 to 331.

She added that the total number of positions in the organizational structure will decrease from 845 to 613, a reduction of 232 positions, representing a cut of approximately 27.5%. This reflects the Ministry’s direction toward building a leaner administrative structure based on rationalizing supervisory levels, distributing workloads and responsibilities more evenly, and enhancing the efficiency of organizational units.

She pointed out that the amendments are not limited to reducing numbers and supervisory positions, but also include reorganizing competencies and merging similar units. This contributes to simplifying procedures, reducing administrative workflow steps, accelerating decision-making, unifying competency authorities, and minimizing overlap and duplication among departments, thereby positively impacting the level of educational and administrative services provided.

Key Amendments

Regarding the most significant amendments to the sector of the Assistant Undersecretary for General Education, the Ministry indicated that the number of general departments under the sector has been reduced to five: the General Department of General Education, the General Department of Private Education, the General Department of Measurement and Evaluation, the General Department of Supporting Educational Services, and the General Department of Guidance, Research, and Curricula. This is part of a strategy aimed at unifying educational and supervisory competencies and enhancing integration among departments involved in the educational process.

She clarified that the new structure includes merging religious education and special education under the umbrella of the General Department of General Education, thereby achieving unified administrative and organizational supervision and enhancing coordination among different types of education. Additionally, exam monitoring and student affairs have been returned to the sector in educational districts, across all their sections and competencies. This strengthens the link between these tasks and the educational field, facilitates the follow-up of student and exam matters, and unifies work procedures in educational districts.

The amendments also included redistributing certain competencies related to supporting educational services. Specifically, the monitoring of activity guidance, library guidance, and educational technology guidance were transferred to the General Department of Supporting Educational Services. This enhances the integration of services provided to schools, unifies supervision over areas supporting the educational process, and improves coordination among entities responsible for implementing educational programs and activities.

Regarding the sector of the Assistant Undersecretary for Administrative, Financial, and Technical Affairs, the amendments included reorganizing the sector and reducing the number of its general departments to five: the General Department of Facilities and Projects, the General Department of Financial Affairs, Procurement, and Warehouses, the General Department of Human Resources and Services, the General Department of Development, Planning, and Quality, and the General Department of Technology and Information Systems. The reorganization involved merging financial affairs, procurement, and warehouses into a single general department to unify the financial and administrative system related to purchases, procurement, and inventory management, and to enhance oversight and coordination among these competencies. This contributes to improving the efficiency of financial and material resource management and enhancing procedures for disbursement, procurement, and storage.

The amendments also consolidated human resources and services competencies into a single general department, thereby enhancing integration in managing employee affairs and related services, unifying procedures, and developing mechanisms for monitoring job and service needs. Additionally, development, planning, and quality competencies were merged under a single administrative umbrella, supporting the linkage between strategic planning, development initiatives, and performance quality measurement, and ensuring that efforts are directed toward achieving

Institutional objectives based on clear priorities and measurable, trackable performance indicators. Infrastructure Development She noted that retaining the General Administration of Facilities and Projects and the General Administration of Technology and Information Systems within the new structure is part of efforts to strengthen the institutional focus on developing educational infrastructure, monitoring projects and facilities, and continuing the digital transformation and updating of technical systems, as these are fundamental pillars supporting the development of the educational and administrative system. She emphasized that redistributing responsibilities among general administrations and various sectors aims to achieve greater clarity in supervisory lines and reporting relationships, enhance responsiveness to operational requirements, avoid duplication of tasks, and enable administrations to carry out their duties within defined and integrated competencies, thereby improving institutional coordination and boosting performance effectiveness. She stressed that developing the organizational structure is part of the administrative reform path being pursued, and is not limited to renaming positions or reducing supervisory roles; rather, it seeks to establish a more efficient and flexible administrative model that keeps pace with educational development requirements, increases productivity, and enhances the deployment of human resources in positions aligned with operational needs. The Ministry concluded by affirming its commitment to continuously reviewing organizational structures and evaluating their implementation effectiveness, in line with actual operational requirements and performance indicators, to ensure ongoing development of the administrative apparatus, optimal use of available resources, and strengthened capacity of the Ministry’s various sectors to fulfill their responsibilities, thereby serving the objectives of educational development in Kuwait.