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Education Ministry plans changes

ABU DHABI - The Ministry of Education (MoE) has decided to retrench or redeploy 300 staff, both nationals and expatriates, working at the ministry's offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai as part of its reorganisation, Khaleej Times has learnt.

Of the sacked employees, 20 are nationals and 35 expatriates. For the remaining 245, the ministry is coordinating with the education zones across the country to redeploy them. They also have the choice to resign.

The decision, which affects 100 staff in Abu Dhabi and 200 in Dubai, is part of the strategy of the ministry to set up a new structure which will reduce the number of sectors from six to two - the Education Affairs and the Support Services.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Jamal Fares, Director of Human Resources at the ministry, said, "The old organisational structure had six sectors. But now we have 16 managements for the two sectors."

Some of the staff claimed that the ministry took the decision when they were on their annual leave.

"I was shocked when I heard the news to leave my job here in the capital and go to the Ajman Education Zone," said one of the transferred staff, who did not want to be named.

M. A., one of the affected staff in Abu Dhabi office, said, "I live here with my husband and three children. The ministry has asked me to go to the Ajman Education Zone. How can I do that? "

Another staff administrator claimed that the ministry would shift them to different education zones.

The education zones in the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah are under the supervision of the education councils in the three emirates and not under the MoE.

ahmed@khaleejtimes.com

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