KUWAIT: MP Saleh Ashour yesterday carried out his threat as he filed to grill Education Minister Nayef Al-Hajraf over a string of allegations that included corruption at the ministry of education, Kuwait University, and the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET). Saleh had threatened to grill the minister several weeks ago after charging that he was involved in a number of violations. The grilling will be listed on the agenda of December 24 if the session is held. Hajraf is also under fire from two other MPs, Roudhan Al-Roudhan who said on Wednesday that he will file to grill the minister after all grillings are debated, while Ahmad Al-Azemi also threatened to grill the minister without setting a date. Ashour's grilling is based on four major issues which all focused on alleged administrative irregularities in violation of the law and the constitution.
The lawmaker claimed that the minister should be held responsible for the administrative corruption at Kuwait University being its chairman as the minister for higher education. He said that the state-owned Kuwait University is in bad need for a large number of teachers after the number of students hit 38,000 and despite that, the university administration has failed to resolve the problem. Ashour said that the number of students doubled over the past five years although the number of teachers increased by just 14 percent to under 1,500, reflecting a dire need for more teachers to cope with the rise in students. The lawmaker said that the university just managed to add 115 new teachers although it urgently needs 465 teachers. He claimed the university deliberately refused to review many applications by teachers for an unexplained reasons. Ashour said that a number of such applicants have sued the university and won their cases in courts.
The lawmaker also accused the university administration of applying a double standard policy in promotions among teachers at Kuwait University, citing the case of a lecturer at Chemistry Department whom the university refused to promote despite fulfilling all the conditions, while it promoted another teacher with less qualifications and less experience. He also accused the minister of forcibly and illegally sending senior officials at the education ministry on retirement in order to create vacations for people from outside the ministry who have personal links with the minister.
The lawmaker accused the minister of misusing his powers to vacate the positions and then appoint people who are not qualified for the jobs, thus undermining public interests. Ashour also accused the minister of being responsible after the education ministry allowed a contractor to continue work on some buildings of PAAET in Shuwaikh even after Kuwait Municipality experts recorded serious violations that threaten the lives of students and employees. The lawmaker charged that the minister failed to take action against an adviser at an educational facility for people with special needs who is suspected of committing some sexual harassment cases.
© Kuwait Times 2013
