Kuwait Ministry of Education terminates 7,000 expat teachers

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Education has initiated the first phase of a restructuring plan to address a surplus of teaching staff in public schools. The ministry has begun issuing termination notices to 7,019 expatriate teachers of various Arab and other nationalities. Affected individuals are being notified through the government’s ‘Sahel’ application.

This decision follows a review that identified a surplus of approximately 33,268 teachers across several subjects and educational stages. The first phase of the plan specifically targets specializations where staffing levels exceed current needs, including Arabic, English, Islamic education, mathematics, science, and physical education.

The restructuring is expected to generate an annual saving of approximately KD42 million in salary expenditures. Beyond cost reduction, the ministry aims to align human resources with actual school requirements and expand the employment of qualified Kuwaiti nationals in teaching positions where local talent is available.