The Ministry of Education has completed the tender procedures for the supply, installation, operation and maintenance of biometric attendance devices for government schools. The attendance system is scheduled to launch at the beginning of the academic year 2023-2024, specifically next September in all schools, Al Qabas reported. The source also revealed that the Ministry obtained the final approval and signatory of awarding the concerned company by the Audit Bureau.
According to the report, 2,770 fingerprinting devices, at a value of 350,000 Kuwaiti dinars, will be supplied and distributed to schools, and once the contract is signed, the supply and installation procedures will begin. In addition, the new fingerprinting device supports different types of registration methods, as well as proof of attendance and departure, and the Ministry considers it the only approved method for all teachers and staff. Moreover, the oversight authorities have been recommending for years the necessity of the fingerprinting system in order to avoid various violations in schools, in addition to ending some teachers’ and school administrations’ negligence, as well as preventing tampering with records.
On the other hand, the Ministry announced the amendment of the ministerial decision regarding the requirements in applying for supervisory positions, technical guidance positions for academic subjects, and the system and procedures for filling them. Official Spokesperson Ahmed Al-Wahida stated that the amendment included the percentage in both the electronic test and the personal interview for educational supervisory positions, such as technical supervisor, department head, assistant school principal, school principal, and technical subject instructor, from 30 percent, the percentage of electronic test achievement to 50 percent, while the percentage of the personal interview is adjusted to 50 percent instead of 60 percent.
Al-Wahida added that the passing percentage for the qualifying training course for written test (paper or electronic), which was conducted for shortlisted candidates after the personal interview and allotted 10 percent of the total result, was cancelled. He pointed out that the amendment came under the directives and follow-up from the Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Hamad Al-Adwani, in application of the principle of transparency pursued by the Ministry, and in order to exemplify fairness among highly qualified candidates.