A proposal to increase fees in kindergartens will be presented to the Undersecretaries Council at the Ministry of Education during its next meeting, Assistant Undersecretary for Private Education Affairs Fahed Al-Ghais told Al-Qabas. He added the Council will look at the possibility of implementing the proposed tuition fee increase from the next academic year. In a related development, Al-Ghais re-confirmed the Ministry has approved a proposal to increase fees in private schools for the next academic year. He added fees will increase by three percent in Arabic, Indian and Filipino schools and five percent in American and British schools.

Meanwhile, the Undersecretaries Council has accepted a proposal to fix cameras at sensitive locations in a number of boys and girls secondary schools in the country, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education Ali Al-Barak told Al-Qabas daily. Al-Barak said the Assistant Undersecretary for finance Radhi Al-Rasheedi has been asked to select a suitable offer from many submitted by companies who have expressed interest in the project. He added that the cameras will be fixed in playgrounds, computer labs and undisclosed locations in the classrooms. “We will make sure that the equipments does not obstruct classroom activities, he noted. The ministry solicited the views of all interested parties on the proposal before arriving at its final conclusion, he added.

In another development, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) has rejected a proposal on establishing public relations departments in all educational zones, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily. Since the Ministry of Education has a Public Relations and Educational Information Department at the Ministry Undersecretary’s Office, there is no need for more such departments, it said.