Panel mulls protection of juveniles on media platforms

Jleeb misery due to bachelor tenants

By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh

KUWAIT CITY, Jan 14: The parliamentary Education, Culture and Guidance Affairs Committee discussed Tuesday the proposal to protect juveniles on visual media platforms, among other items in its agenda.

In a press conference after the meeting, Committee Rapporteur MP Dr Khalil Abul disclosed the committee has yet to receive the response of the government to the proposal.

He said the committee had an extensive discussion on the proposed amendments to the audio-visual, printing and publishing laws. He clarified the meeting focused on the cancellation of the stipulation on the imprisonment of those involved in opinion cases. He added the committee decided to invite the information minister and senior officials at the ministry to listen to the government’s opinion on the issue.

He went on to say that a committee member suggested inviting media figures to know their opinions, indicating the committee is keen on removing stipulations on imposing travel ban on those convicted in opinion cases in the above mentioned laws if any. He explained the committee is currently looking into the Penalty Code to determine if it includes provisions on the travel ban.

In response to queries on the new educational curricula and cancellation of the sponsorship system, Abul pointed out the ministry hurriedly approved loans provided by the World Bank for the development of the curricula. He asserted the World Bank did not consider the special nature of Kuwait which necessitates suitable curricula. He then thanked former minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Hamed Al-Azmi for his cooperation with the committee through the cancellation of curricula development contracts with the World Bank.

In another development, Abul submitted a draft law on the amendment of the overseas scholarship decree. He argued some secondary school students obtained overseas scholarship while they were still minors and others are married. He argued the current decree does not cover such cases; hence, the suggestion to include the minor student’s father or guardian as companion and the ministry should bear the cost for the companion’s travel, residency and health insurance until the student reaches the legal adult age. He stressed the need for the father or guardian’s presence with the minor student in order to sign the forms and commitments on behalf of his child.

He also suggested the same for married students, explaining that the spouse must be allowed to accompany the student for the couple to stay together during the scholarship period for humanitarian and social reasons.

Moreover, MP Osama Al-Shaheen submitted a proposal regarding the fourth constructional plan of the State which will be conducted by the Municipal Council in April 2020. He suggested including Salmiya and Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh to the plan, considering there are citizens residing in these areas. He claimed the Kuwaiti families in these areas are suffering due to the increasing number of bachelor tenants in their neighborhood.

He recommended changing the license to investment instead of private housing for the entire Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh and Salmiya as part of the plan.

MP Muhammad Hadi Al-Hewiala has forwarded queries to Abul about the number of new schools that his ministry received in Wafra some time ago but these schools have not been inaugurated until now although they were supposed to open by the beginning of the current academic year. He said the students residing in Wafra are forced to enroll in faraway schools in Sabah Al-Ahmed City despite the danger posed by the roads there.

He argued the Public Education Department has taken all the necessary procedures to open new schools such as allocating 120 job posts needed for academic year 2019/2020. He asked if the new schools will open by the beginning of the second semester of the current academic year.

MP Dr Homoud Al-Khudair has submitted questions to Abul on the number of schools in Ahmadi Governorate, number of students, plan of the ministry to add schools in the governorate in light of the rising number of residents, number of schools which the ministry decided to reconstruct, dates of such decisions and current conditions of these schools.

He wants to know if the ministry rented out schools for the private sector in Ahmadi and the justifications for taking such step.

He went on to disclose that he got information about teachers being obligated to take part in repairing schools and share in bearing the expenses for some activities in order to obtain the excellent performance allowance. He asked if this information is true and requested for copies of the criteria for the evaluation of teachers’ performance and achievements of the teachers.

MP Askar Al-Anzi has submitted a draft law on organizing training programs for the parents or guardians of disabled individuals – either Kuwaitis or children of Kuwaiti women and GCC citizens. He said these programs must include training on the proper ways of dealing with or taking care of people with special needs, in addition to sign language for the guardians of deaf and mute children.

MP Dr Khalid Al-Otaibi has forwarded questions to the minister of justice, awqaf and islamic affairs on the execution of verdict number 1218/2013 issued earlier by the Court of Cassation which cancelled ministerial decision number 279/2010 on the appointment of the Public Affairs Department director.