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40 sacked MoE inspectors are left in the lurch

DUBAI — The hire and fire policy at the Ministry of Education continues unabated. Only 14 out of 54 inspectors whose services were terminated, have been exempted and reinstated.

They were surprised when a decree signed by Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and acting Minister of Education on August 1, called for reinstating and exempting them from an earlier decree no 3462 issued by Dr Hanif Hassan, Minister of Education, on June 21 with effect from the previous academic year for the expiry of the employment contract.

The position of the other 40 male and female inspectors remained unchanged.

The decree exempting the 14 inspectors was a corrective action after the controversial decision issued by the ministry at the end of June. The sacked inspectors regarded the decree that terminated their services as ‘shocking beyond belief’.

The experienced and competent white collar employees were fired on the grounds that some of them reached the retirement age of 60. They were also sacked following the recommendation of the director of the technical office at the ministry No.185 dated June 20 as well as the letter of the Civil Service Commission, which rejected extension of the services of the inspectors even though the Federal Law on Civil Service empowers the ministry of education to extend their services for four more years, one year after another, if they turn 60.

This had prompted the minister of education to issue a decree last April giving a go ahead for extending the services of the said inspectors. The educational zones and the affiliated departments had asked them to go ahead in ending the procedures of medical check up, which are required for extending the service. They were also requested to gear up for the new academic year after tasking them with the duties.

After renewing their tenancy contracts, packing up their luggage and buying air tickets to fly back home after spending the summer vacation, they were shocked on June 21 and a week before the end of the academic year of a decree ending their services without taking any consideration, and the consequences of issuing two contradictory decrees on termination and extension of service in less than two months.

All the inspectors, without exception expressed resentment over the decision and the standards the ministry had adopted which instead of rewarding them after years of service, during which they spared no effort in serving the educational progress, unceremoniously booted them out without giving a grace period to reorganise themselves. They were left in the lurch, but still they went back home to spend the holidays.

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