Manama: A decision to recruit 120 Egyptian teachers has set the education ministry on a collision course with Al Wefaq Society against a backdrop of arguments over meeting urgent school requirements and employing young Bahraini undergraduates.
The ministry attributed its decision to hire teachers from abroad to the need to confront the shortage of staff in some schools, an issue which has prompted heavy criticism from concerned parents and students.
"We have tried long and hard to have Bahrainis fill in the vacant posts before the start of the academic year in order to ensure a smooth beginning," an education ministry spokes-person said on Thursday.
"We put out ads and alerted everyone to our needs. However, we could not have enough teachers in some subjects and we eventually had to look elsewhere in order to recruit staff. It was a pressing matter and we had to act without delays."
The ministry said the new recruits, who would be teaching mathematics, civic education and English, were given short contracts. However, Al Wefaq, the largest bloc in the parliament and which has been advocating an aggressive approach to the employment of Bahraini graduates, is challenging the decision.
"The ministry has denied there were Bahrainis who could take up the positions on offer in some schools," MP Dr Abdali Mohammad said.
"We want all unemployed Bahrainis with university degrees in mathematics, English and civic education to submit their papers to the MPs so that we start our move promptly and help them avail of the employment opportunities."
Cairo interviews
"We had earlier requested the ministry not to recruit foreigners and to focus on training Bahraini nationals and qualifying them to become teachers, but the officials said that the procedures would take a long time and that they could not afford to have classes without teachers," the MP said in a statement sent to Gulf News.
According to Al Wefaq, around 500 Egyptian teachers were interviewed by education ministry officials at the Bahraini embassy in Cairo as part of a screening test to select the 120 teachers.
The education ministry has often been under pressure to employ fresh Bahraini graduates, but its officials have repeatedly argued that they would take only applicants with the proper qualifications and according to its needs.
By Habib Toumi, Bahrain Bureau Chief