Best schools in Kuwait
Education in Kuwait
All schools have to comply with Ministry of Education regulations. Before any pupil can be admitted to a school, the school health section of the Ministry requires evidence of a BCG vaccination and a general health examination from a government health clinic in the area in which you live or are about to live. Schools are also obliged to undergo a local Ofsted type inspection covering service, fees and a buildings inspection.
It is also a Ministry requirement that all children study Arabic from a certain age. Children are split into either Arabic for Arabs, or Arabic for foreigners. Those of the Muslim faith have compulsory Islamic studies lessons. No other religious studies are permitted in any of the schools.
There are a number of other things to consider. Teachers who enjoy the lifestyle in Kuwait often stay many years but, in even the best of the schools, there is always a regular turnover of staff. Also, all may not be as it seems when it comes to exam results. It is not uncommon for schools to enter weak students as ’independent’ candidates - hence the fantastic percentages on results for Kuwait secondary English schools with such a high ESL population.
All the schools are strong when it comes to extracurricular. In particular, there are some excellent school bands. Children may have the opportunity to travel around the Gulf region with school sports teams. Most schools also organise field trips both inside Kuwait and abroad.
Choosing a school in Kuwait
Both English and American curricula are pretty easy to find in the international schools. There is also a French lycée, offering the French Baccalaureate, plus a number of other schools serving the many nationalities in Kuwait.
There are private bilingual schools but unless the children are very young, it is difficult for children who do not have an Arabic-speaking parent at home to catch up. School work is done in classical Arabic, which is not a spoken language and differs from the Kuwaiti, Egyptian and other dialects heard in the streets. Kuwaitis and other Arab nationals often choose these schools because they hope that their children will learn English and perhaps go to college in America, or university in Europe or Australia.
Think hard about the school run as traffic around schools can be dreadful. Many parents opt for the school buses, which cover a wide area of the city, while Kuwaiti children are ferried to school by a maid and driver. Car-pooling does exist but is not common.
Some of the larger schools with small premises can be intimidating as there is little room to move in the playground and it is difficult at first to break into a circle. However, children do seem to settle in within a term or two and become very loyal to their school. Schools with enough room have separate areas for different age groups.
Special education needs in Kuwait
SEN is not always a high priority and many teachers tend not to have sufficient experience of how to handle children with behavioural issues related to learning difficulties. Parents of native English speaking children report that, although there has been improvement, in some schools ‘priority for SEN assistance seems to be given to ESL children first’.
Most of the schools state that they have learning support and are sympathetic, but parents should check out how well their child’s needs will be met. Some children have extra assistance from dyslexia specialists and others who work independently or come into schools part-time. Many determined parents look for people out in the community who happen to have SEN qualifications to help children after school hours, which can be tough on an already tired child who has had a hard enough time in school.
Outside of the mainstream in Kuwait, there are some schools for children with learning difficulties. The leader in this field is Fawzia Sultan International School, a non-profit organisation for children with learning-related problems. The curriculum is based on the American one and is run by highly qualified overseas staff. It also offers assessment and consultation services for those enrolled in other schools.
Pre-schools, kindergarten and nurseries in Kuwait
There is a good selection of nursery schools to choose from in Kuwait, including Gulf Montessori Nursery, British Playhouse Nursery, Bright Start English Nursery and Busy Bodies English Montessori Nursery.
