Key Challenges
Shortage of skilled teachers
The rise in demand for education is to a large extent being met by the opening of new schools and colleges; however, there is a shortage of skilled teachers in Kuwait. The country primarily depends on expats to bridge this gap. The staff’s level of experience or skill determines the effectiveness of teaching imparted. According to UNESCO, in 2014, 75 percent of the teachers at the preprimary level and 79 percent at primary level were trained in Kuwait.
High turnover of teachers
Expats form the majority of teaching staff in Kuwait. The minimum income level for expats is less than that offered to nationals. In addition, a teacher’s remuneration might vary by nationality. The salary of a teacher from the West could be KD800-KD2,000 but teachers with similar qualifications from countries like India, Pakistan and Philippines might be offered anything between KD170 and KD250, capped at KD400. This makes it very difficult for teachers to survive in the country with the increasing costs of living. Thus, these professionals are always seeking positions in other schools offering higher pay. Some also turn to private tuitions to deal with the rising cost of living.
High construction costs for schools
One of the major obstacles faced by the education sector in Kuwait is the high construction cost involved in building schools. Constructing a new school is a capital-intensive task and attaining land could be a major cost element. Amid the current global investment climate, procuring funding for a Greenfield project is difficult. Although banks offer loans to participants in the sector, such facilities are restricted to entities with credible track records.
Government Control on Fee Hike
MoE-imposed regulations on fee hikes are another obstacle that private players face. A hike in private school fees is subject to regulatory approval. For instance, in November 2015, the MoE suspended 200 private school files on the context of violation of ministry rules. The violations were mostly in form of illegal increase of the school fees and nonpayment of stipulated wages to teachers. According to the law, fees cannot be raised more than 3 percent every three years.
Enrollment rate in higher education remains low
Enrollment in tertiary education remains low in the GCC countries as compared to developed nations, reflecting a disparity between skills imparted to graduates and the labor market requirements. The major challenge that Kuwait’s higher education faces is that the number of high school graduates are way more than what the Kuwait University can take in. Those students that don’t get a place at the Kuwait University choose to join Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET). This also has its precincts as PAAET offers only limited programs/majors and that too the number of students attending remains much greater than what the faculty can take in.