Kuwait celebrates World Teachers’ Day

On the occasion of World Teacher's Day, Kuwait and the Ministry of education celebrate the pivotal role of teachers in the educational process. Kuwait has established and developed clear educational strategies with specific executive programs, with the aim of preparing an aware future generation. The 2024 celebrations will focus on "Valuing teacher voices: towards a new social contract for education," aiming at empowering teachers by providing them with opportunities to express their visions, celebrate their achievements, and address the challenges they encounter. On this occasion, we recall Kuwait's rich history of teachers, starting with the mosque as the first stage of education in Kuwait. The work of Al-Mutawa or Al-Mulla was not limited to leading prayers, but extended to include preaching, teaching religion, reading the Quran, and teaching calligraphy. The teaching profession during this time was hereditary, and the most famous of those who worked in it from the Kuwaiti families were Al-Adsani, Al- Fares, and Al-Qenai. As for the female teachers, they were Muneera Al-Dukhan, Fatima Al-Mesbah, Lulwa Al-Bannai, Maryam Al-Yaqoub, and Hessa Al-Hanif. Al-Mubarakiya Boys School had three prominent teachers in 1911, including Sheikh Yousef bin Essa Al-Qanai, who devoted his efforts to establishing schools in Kuwait, Omar Al-Azmiri, who was known for his beautiful voice in reciting the Holy Quran, and Saleh Al-Saleh. As for Al-Ahmadiyya Boys School in 1921, its most prominent teachers were Abdulaziz Al-Rashid, Ahmad Al-Khamis, and Haji bin Haji. Al-Mirqab Boys School in 1949 had Khalid Al-Masoud, Abdulrahman Al-Abduljader, and Abdullatif Al-Othman. Among the most prominent teachers at the Middle School for Girls in 1937 were Maryam Al-Saleh and Badriya Al-Atiqi. Al-Qabliyya Girls School in 1950 had Suad Al-Refai, Ghanima Al-Gharaballi, and Amal Jaafar. Today, the Ministry of Education celebrated 105,231 teachers, acknowledging their achievements as Kuwait's cornerstone of progress and development. World Teachers' Day is held annually on 5 October since 1994 to commemorate the signing of the 1966 UNESCO-ILO Recommendation on the Status of Teachers. This Recommendation sets benchmarks for teachers' rights and responsibilities, standards for their initial preparation, subsequent training and employment, and conditions of teaching and learning. The UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel was adopted in 1997 to complement the 1966 Recommendation. Source: Kuwait News Agency