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Asian Schools ‘Continue to Withhold Staff Passports’

DUBAI - A number of Asian schools reportedly continue to hold passports of teachers and administrative staff, allege faculty, despite the Ministry of Education (MoE) clearly warning schools against the practice.

However, after a recent repeat warning from the ministry, some schools told Khaleej Times they would review the situation and release passports if any remain with them. Dubai’s education authority, on the other hand, said that schools could be subject to legal action if found violating the law.

“My school keeps our passports but releases it whenever we need to travel. However, even when the management does hand it to us, they keep our labour cards until we return the passports. A letter is sent asking us to return the passport, in case we forget,” said an Indian schoolteacher, who asked not to be named.

KT reported on Tuesday that the ministry has warned schools against withholding passports of teachers and administration staff of schools across the country.

In a circular to directors of education zones, it reiterated that this was a flagrant violation of the law.

“No education zone is entitled to withhold a passport, as it’s a personal document of its holder,” Mohammed Juma bin Hindi, Executive Director for Educational Institution Services at the MoE, told KT earlier.

“They do give us our passports but hold our labour cards,” complained a Pakistani teacher, requesting anonymity. “This is very troublesome for us and it is not in accordance with the UAE laws. I hope authorities take a serious view of the issue since a passport is the sole property of its owner,” he added. An administrative staff of an Indian school, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that his school kept passports only on the faculty’s insistence, but never forced anyone.

Following the ministry’s circular, an Indian syllabus school principal, who requested not to be named, conceded that the school did have a few residence staff passports for ‘safe keeping’.

“We do keep some passports since they live in staff accommodations and find it safer to let the school keep it. But we will abide by the law and ensure they are released. If any of our staff wants us to hold the passport, they would have to give us a letter in writing that they have voluntarily handed it over to us,” she said, adding that sometimes staffs never come back after they get their passports.

“Gems has a policy to not withhold passports of staff in our schools. Should there be any anomaly to this policy, we will rectify it right away,” said a Gems official.Most international and Arab schools, on the other hand, refrain from holding passports.

“We do not hold any passports because it is morally wrong to do so. If a teacher or staff is unhappy with the school, they have the freedom to leave,” stressed Lesley P. Stagg, principal of the Greenfield Community School.

Similarly, an Arab teacher from a private school in Abu Dhabi said the faculty had their own passports and labour cards since the school never asked for them.

Dubai’s education authority, Knowledge and Human Development Authority, said schools could be subject to legal action if they were found withholding passports.

preeti@khaleejtimes.com