Kuwaiti students at the intermediate level will soon be required to study a new subject that tackles drugs and criminal behaviour, following the Ministry of Education’s approval of a proposal linked to the country’s forthcoming anti-drugs law. The course is scheduled to begin in the next academic year and is positioned as a preventive measure rather than a disciplinary one.
The initiative originated from the committee drafting Kuwait’s new anti-drugs legislation, which argued that formal education could play a direct role in reducing exposure to drugs and other offences among adolescents. Officials involved in the proposal said the subject is intended to build practical awareness at an age when students are increasingly vulnerable to peer influence and experimentation.
Mohammed Al Duaij, who heads the law-drafting committee, said the planned curriculum would extend well beyond narcotics. According to details he shared with Al Qabas, lessons are expected to cover issues such as violence, theft, bullying, cybercrime, traffic-related offences and sexual crimes, framing them within real-life scenarios students may encounter.
Al Duaij said he personally presented the concept to Education Minister Jalal Al Tabtabai, emphasising the value of introducing preventive education before risky behaviours take hold. “There was strong engagement,” he said, noting that the ministry was given a detailed outline of the topics and offences proposed for inclusion.
He explained that while many teenagers already recognise that certain acts are wrong, they often lack a concrete understanding of the consequences. “They know it is a mistake,” he said, “but they do not know what actually happens to them if they commit these acts.”
The proposal also reflects broader social changes that, according to Al Duaij, have weakened daily guidance at home. He pointed to long working hours, reliance on domestic help and heavy use of digital devices as factors that reduce meaningful parent-child communication. Supervision may still be present, he said, but consistent guidance is often missing.
Al Duaij added that some parents are unfamiliar with new forms of drugs, struggle to keep up with online culture, or avoid discussing sensitive issues altogether. In such cases, he said, young people often seek information elsewhere, turning to peers, online sources or personal experience. He described this pattern bluntly as learning from “the most dangerous teacher.”
Unlike conventional awareness campaigns that focus mainly on warnings, the proposed subject is designed to be skills-based. Lessons will include strategies for refusing drugs without social fallout, managing peer pressure, leaving unsafe situations, and seeking help in a way that does not trigger fear or stigma.
The curriculum is also intended to challenge narratives that portray offenders as bold or admirable. “Proper education reveals the real picture,” Al Duaij said, referring to outcomes such as addiction, family breakdown, imprisonment and psychological harm.
He urged private schools to consider adopting similar programmes alongside the public system, arguing that broad participation would strengthen efforts to curb juvenile crime. The proposal remains tied to the ongoing legislative work on Kuwait’s updated anti-drugs framework.
