Kuwait's Education Ministry Takes Steps to Tackle School Violence

Gulf News


Kuwait's education ministry has set up a centre to help students suffering from violence and abuse, officials said.

The move came after figures indicated that violence against children in schools has increased in all the six governorates of Kuwait.

According to the ministry, the number of registered cases of violence has reached 28,887, with more than 10,000 of the cases committed by students in elementary schools.

"This is evidence of the increase and prevalence of violence amongst students," Siham Al Freih, head of the Kuwait Society for Children's Rights (KSCR), told a press conference.

"This increase is also registered in the brutality and intensity of the violence, which in some cases has even resulted in murder. This brutality is not only found amongst older students but also at younger ages," she said, quoted by the Kuwait Times on Monday.

Bader Al Dihani, Assistant Undersecretary for Education Development at the education ministry, said the ministry was keen on responding to the negative trend in students' behaviour.

"The ministry has established a centre to accommodate students who suffer from domestic violence," he said. "The centre is fully equipped to provide a home-like atmosphere for the students. Currently there are about 12 or 13 students there."

The media should play a more positive role in tackling the spread of violence, he said.

"Many cartoons portray violence and soap operas also encourage violence," he said. "Children watching such programmes are easily affected. The ministry has produced 13 short films promoting the importance of tolerance, each about five minutes long, to be played in schools. The problem is that ways to deal with violence are not included in the curriculum, so we hope to train teachers on how to instill good principles and positive values in their students."


LWDLIK- With thanks to my friend N.

This is horrendous but so very glad to see an attempt to tackle it.

It's all very well blaming media but parental guidance and role models at home are much more important.

I wonder if this is also attributed to children being brought up by nannies/maids who speak little or no Arabic/English and are incapable of guiding or disciplining a child.