Shura Rejects Draft Law on Bahraini Teacher Priority

A proposal to require private educational institutions to give priority to hiring qualified Bahrainis for teaching posts was rejected by the Shura Council on Sunday, after the Services Committee advised members not to back it in principle because the legal provisions it sought to amend have already been repealed.

The committee said the outcome the bill aimed for was already in place in much of the sector. It cited Ministry of Labour data showing Bahrainis made up 93.12 per cent of licensed trainers in private training institutions in 2024, with Bahrainis accounting for 74 per cent of licensed managerial staff.

During the debate, Shura Council member Dalal Al Zayed said the aim behind the bill was shared across government and lawmakers, but questioned what its wording would actually change. ‘The aim is one shared by the legislative and executive authorities,’ she told the chamber, adding that ‘the wording did not set any effect on private educational institutions’ if they failed to hire Bahrainis.

She pointed instead to wage support through Tamkeen as a key reason the numbers have risen. ‘Tamkeen is putting dedicated funds today to support Bahraini wages,’ Al Zayed said, adding that the approach had lifted the share of Bahrainis in private educational and training institutions ‘as trainers or managers’. She also urged private schools that rely on teachers for certain languages to keep pushing in the same direction. ‘Private educational institutions that bring in teachers for certain languages should also seek Bahrainisation,’ she said.

The bill, based on a proposal submitted by Parliament, would have amended Article 11(1) and Article 12(1) of Decree-Law No. 25 of 1998 on private educational and training institutions.

The Services Committee said the change had been overtaken by Law No. 4 of 2026 on private educational institutions, issued on 28 January 2026. It pointed to provisions stating that the rules relating to private educational institutions in Decree-Law No. 25 of 1998 are repealed, along with any provision that conflicts with the newer law, leaving the draft amendments aimed at articles that no longer apply to private schools.

In its account of the bill’s purpose, the committee cited a memorandum from the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission saying the draft was meant to give priority to Bahrainis with the qualifications needed for teaching roles in the private sector, after an increase in the number of graduates seeking teaching jobs in the public sector. The committee said the ministry’s capacity did not match demand, which was put forward as a reason to draw private schools into employing more graduates.

The committee also cited a Ministry of Education letter dated 28 July 2025, in which the ministry said the aim of giving Bahrainis priority in hiring was already being met through policies and steps in place across both the public and private sectors.

The Shura Council had sent the draft back for further study after discussing an earlier report on 4 May 2025. On Sunday, it followed the Services Committee’s latest recommendation and rejected the bill.