Kuwait will not be the cash cow
According to a recent press statement by Kuwait’s Minister of Education, Sayed Jalal Al-Tabatabai, there are 33,000 surplus teachers out of a total of 91,000.
Assuming that the monthly salary of each expatriate teacher is at least 500 Kuwaiti dinars, the total monthly expenditure would amount to 16.5 million Kuwaiti dinars. If we add other logistical benefits provided to expatriate teachers, such as housing allowances, enrollment of their children in public schools or private schools across the three educational stages (primary, intermediate, and secondary), as well as university-level support, what would be the full “package” cost incurred by the state for teachers who exceed educational needs?
We do not deny the role of expatriate teachers in supporting education in Kuwait. As adults, we received our education at the hands of Egyptian and Palestinian teachers, as well as teachers of other Arab nationalities. At that time, the number of Kuwaiti teachers was barely noticeable.
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At that time, there was a pressing, even urgent, need for Arab teachers. This situation also occurred in other Arab countries, such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states, and the Maghreb. Perhaps some Arab countries still rely on foreign teachers. However, when the need ceases and the national teacher fulfills the national mission, it is only natural to close the door to requests for expatriate teachers.
This is a plausible scenario and should not strain relations. Overcomplicating the issue is unwarranted. If we acknowledge the right of states to make decisions based on their local needs, why did some fanatics raise such an uproar against Kuwait simply for issuing a decision that is still under discussion regarding the reduction of surplus teachers?
Some Arabs view Kuwait as a lucrative source of high-quality “milk,” unlike the smuggled “ration milk,” even if this “milk” is denied to Kuwaiti citizens and residents. Nevertheless, based on their own testimonies and the accounts of those who have lived in Kuwait, we must acknowledge that Kuwait was hospitable and served as an alternative homeland for them.
From this perspective, and for this reason, any attempt to silence us and every impartial and fair-minded person, and to measure justice by a biased scale, is futile. What do you want from Kuwait? We know that your countries are constrained.
Let all Arabs, from the restless Mediterranean to the roaring Gulf, know that Kuwait, even under the most difficult circumstances—of which there have been many—has always been a model of loyal brotherhood and salvation. However, some people remain ungrateful and deny kindness even when it is offered openly. Such individuals’ noise should be ignored.
Thus, we reiterate: Empty clamor will not shake Kuwait, nor will it deter it from making decisions it deems in its best interest. Kuwaitis and their government have long upheld the old slogan: “Kuwait First.”
— Kuwaiti journalist
