Job relief cheers teachers up

The Ministry of Education has issued a memorandum to both international and local schools which states that teachers can acquire an “eligibility certificate” in order to enable them to work at schools without having to transfer their sponsorships.
Teachers have been given a year to get their original degrees attested from their home countries. Additional requirements include filling out forms and submitting teachers’ paperwork to the ministry by Sunday.
Teachers who don’t have original copies of their degrees can only submit substitute documents that are not more than five years old.
Schools have been asked to keep a record of the documents to show Labor Office officials during ad hoc visits.
Padma Hariharan, director and head of the Novel International Group of Institutes, thanked the ministry and the General Directorate of Education for facilitating the process for dependents to work legally in the Kingdom.
“I am thankful to the Ministries of Education and Labor for lightening our load. The ministry’s memo also states that teachers will have to take a test set by the ministry and will qualify for certification upon passing the examination. The exam certificate will be attested by the Ministry of Labor, who will issue a letter declaring the candidate eligible for work,” she explained.
Sadiya Kaleem, principal of Al-Hukma International School, commended the ministry on its new rules and regulations. “Such a decision will give teachers a newfound sense of job security while lessening the load on school administrations,” she said.
She requested that the ministry give more time for teachers to submit their paperwork.
“We also request the ministry to consider cases of teachers who are experienced and have good knowledge of the subjects they teach but who only have undergraduate degrees. The ministry can give them a test to ascertain their level of knowledge and take into account the school’s input, since experienced teachers are difficult to replace,” she said.