The Ministry of Education has circulated a preliminary regulatory framework to education sector employees seeking feedback on proposed standards for dress appearance conduct and professional responsibilities that would apply to teachers administrators service staff and students across government schools according to the document released August 10. The framework requires male staff to wear the Kuwaiti national dishdasha with ghutra and agal or a formal suit while female staff must opt for modest formal or semi-formal attire suitable for the educational setting. All clothing must remain clean non-conspicuous and free of sportswear short revealing tight or ripped garments with any tattoos covered and physical education instructors exempted to wear appropriate athletic wear.
Service employees would follow clean uniform policies and occupational safety rules including protective gear the ministry’s framework indicated. For students the proposal mandates unmodified approved uniforms that are loose-fitting without excessive decoration alongside neat hairstyles that avoid covering eyes or neck extending beyond ears or featuring dyes gels or unusual cuts. Students must also wear closed non-flashy shoes and forgo chains bracelets large rings or other conspicuous accessories while uniform lengths would reach the knee when seated for elementary pupils and mid-calf for older grades with a white cotton cap required at all levels.
The regulations would govern official school hours and activities though administrations could approve exceptions for special events in line with the standards the circulated document specified. School officials would gain authority to issue warnings and apply administrative measures for breaches which form part of internal school systems. Violations for staff range from missing classes or failing to follow curricula to creating disputes arriving late or violating instructions with penalties progressing from documented verbal warnings to written notices salary deductions or referral to higher supervisors.
More serious offenses such as insults to colleagues spreading false information social media abuse of staff disclosure of confidential data or manipulation of grades could lead to referral to the ministry’s legal authorities according to the framework. Zero-tolerance measures address physical threats harassment discrimination defamation or examination fraud requiring written statements incident reports and witness accounts before escalation. The proposal additionally details controls for admitting non-Kuwaiti students to public schools exempting children of Kuwaiti mothers GCC nationals diplomats martyrs and certain institutional employees while setting age limits and exception procedures for transfers from kindergarten home schooling or private institutions.
An appendix in the framework establishes formal procedures for exam cheating violations including attempts to assist possession of devices or removal of answer sheets with supervisors preparing signed reports and recording student statements the ministry document outlined. Separately the proposal caps teacher workloads at 18 class periods per week for heads of departments and instructors to ensure fair distribution based on specialization and maintain teaching quality. Ministry figures from the prior academic year placed public school enrollment above 422,000 students supported by more than 131,000 teachers and administrators across the system.
This latest framework builds directly on the unified Teachers’ Code of Conduct issued by the ministry in July under Minister Jalal Al-Tabtabaei which established national standards for professional ethics and classroom integrity across public and private schools a ministry statement at the time confirmed. Comparable dress and conduct regulations emerged in the health sector the same month requiring clean modest attire covered tattoos and standardized uniforms for medical staff according to the Ministry of Health. The education proposal remains under review with the ministry stating its intent to clarify expectations for conduct discipline academic honesty and responsibility allocation once finalized.
