Mass layoffs hit private school teachers in Kuwait

Some private schools in Kuwait have terminated the service of their teachers to avoid paying them during an emergency holiday, Kuwaiti newspaper Al Qabas has reported.

Other schools have given their staff the choice of either giving up their salaries or lose their jobs, the paper added, citing well-informed sources.

Administrators of several private schools in Kuwait notified their employees by phone of ending their services, telling them they could be re-appointed if a specific date is set for resuming the current disrupted school year, or for the onset of the New Year, according to the report. No figures of the reported job losses were given.

Last March, the Kuwaiti government extended suspension of classes in all educational institutions until August as part of precautions to contain Covid-19 pandemic.

Education authorities have demanded schools not to request parents to pay fees at present and delay the issue until early next year, a move reportedly resulting in a financial problem for schools.