Thank you, His Excellency the Minister of Education
The Civil Service Authority for government entities has announced the resumption of official working hours and the addition of one hour to the working day in authorities and ministries. Schools will open for our children so they can begin their new year with diligence and energy, God willing. This is a sign of good news that the situation in the Arabian Gulf region is stable and security in the state is under control, and all of this is very positive.
The first thing I will begin with is my sincere gratitude to His Excellency Jalal Al-Taptibai, Minister of Education, and the respected officials at the Ministry of Education for including in the Grade 10 history curriculum a reference to the heinous Iranian aggressions against the peaceful State of Kuwait using missiles and explosive drones, which struck civilian facilities such as the airport, electricity and water stations, residential complexes, the Social Security building, and others. However, the wisdom of His Highness Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, may God protect him, and his directives to the Kuwaiti Armed Forces prevented further damage. I wished that there had been a more detailed explanation of the Iranian crimes since 1979, as well as the damages and explosions that affected Kuwait. I also hope that the period of the Iraqi invasion of 1990 is firmly established in the school curricula so that our children can know the history of their country and what it endured.
I also hope that officials will be open to some questions and suggestions that may benefit everyone. For example, road repairs are currently underway and some roads are closed; why not have ministries shift their working hours to morning and evening shifts to reduce congestion for employees and visitors? Why not lighten the course load for students? The goal is understanding and education, not cramming in numerous subjects, some of which are incorrect or irrelevant to non-specialists, such as Freud’s theories. Instead, focus should be placed on civic education and the history of Kuwait and the Arabian Gulf, which is the most important.
The curricula of advanced countries are half the size of ours, and their students study for half the time our students do, yet they excel academically. Most of the majors our students study are not useful for their employment. You find Arabic language graduates working in the oil sector, shipwelding graduates working in air conditioning, and business college graduates working as switchboard operators.
Another issue is how we verify that certificates obtained from Arab and foreign countries are genuine, especially from Zagazig University, whose dean has stated that thousands of students come to obtain degrees through various means, not including regular study. When will the government begin auditing all certificates, whether held by Kuwaitis or non-Kuwaitis, to verify their authenticity? There are individuals who hold important positions and receive large salaries despite having invalid certificates, which constitutes theft of public funds. The danger posed by holders of forged certificates lies in making incorrect decisions and causing the state to lose millions of dinars, depending on the importance of their position. In addition, just as there are biometric systems and monitoring to ensure regular attendance, there should be monitoring of employee conduct toward visitors, their respect for them, and the accuracy of their responses. I was forced to spend time and reprint documents due to an error made by an employee who did not know his job.
