Filipino teachers in Kuwait are not affected by the ongoing layoffs in the country’s public education system, the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait clarified.

Aaron Lozada, consul of the Philippine Embassy, told DAILY TRIBUNE that the layoffs concern only foreign teachers employed in Kuwait’s public schools, particularly Arab nationals from countries including Egypt, Jordan and Syria.

“Regarding your inquiry, the layoff of foreign teachers by Kuwait’s public education system only concerns Arab teachers, mostly from Egypt, Jordan and Syria,” Lozada said.

He explained that Filipino teachers are employed in Kuwait’s private education sector and are not part of the public-school system, where Arabic is the medium of instruction.

Termination notices out

The clarification follows reports that Kuwait’s Ministry of Education has begun issuing termination notices to 7,019 teachers as part of a broader effort to address a surplus of teaching staff in government schools.

The affected teachers, consisting of 1,551 men and 5,468 women, have reportedly received notifications through Kuwait’s Sahel government application. The ministry said the first phase of the restructuring is expected to reduce annual salary expenditure by around KD42 million.

The move follows a review that identified a surplus of about 33,268 teachers across various subjects and educational levels in government schools. Surpluses were identified in areas including Arabic, English, Islamic education, art, music, mathematics, science and physical education, among others.

Kuwaiti authorities said they will implement the restructuring gradually, aligning staffing levels with the actual needs of government schools.

The initiative also seeks to increase the employment of qualified Kuwaiti nationals in teaching positions where sufficient local talent is available.

However, foreign teachers will continue to be recruited for subjects where shortages remain.

The Philippine Embassy’s clarification indicates that Filipino teachers working in Kuwait’s private schools are outside the scope of the current public-sector workforce reduction.