Private Schools Union seek delay in teacher’s license requirement

Noura Al-Ghanim, head of the Private Schools Union, disclosed an official request she submitted to the Ministry of Education to postpone implementing the ‘teacher’s license’ requirement for private school staff starting September, the Al Rai newspaper reported.

She clarified that “the request is currently under review by the Assistant Undersecretary for Special and Specific Education, alongside a similar request submitted to Dr. Adel Al-Adwani, Minister of Education and Higher Education.”

Al-Ghanim confirmed in a statement to Al-Rai that the two requests have not yet been decided upon. She noted that the union also requested the formation of a permanent committee with the Ministry of Education, representing the private education sector. This committee aims to “simplify mechanisms, resolve issues, bridge viewpoints, and provide information to the ministry” regarding the operation of each educational system in the private sector.

Al-Ghanim explained that “the committee, if formed, will study the mechanism for implementing the teacher’s license in private schools, as it is a procedure implemented in all countries worldwide, and will include government schools as well.” She noted that “implementing the license for teachers is inevitable, but the exact timeline depends on agreeing on the implementation mechanism.”

She stated that the application “will encompass all educational institutions in both the public and private sectors, but it has begun in the private sector because educational reforms there typically progress more swiftly.”

Al-Ghanim emphasized “the impracticality of implementing the license in private school educational institutions during the next academic year, citing the diversity of educational systems and their operational differences.” She stressed that “implementation requires extensive time and study due to the diversity of educational systems.”