Kuwait court overturns student's failed grade after Microsoft Teams glitch blocked classes

Kuwait court overturns student's failed grade after Microsoft Teams glitch blocked classes

Kuwait's Administrative Court has ruled in favor of a middle-school student who was failed by the Education Ministry after a technical malfunction prevented her from accessing online classes for more than two months, ordering the ministry to promote her to the eighth grade.

The case centers on events during the second semester of 2026, when Kuwait reactivated distance learning through Microsoft Teams due to regional security developments. Schools had recorded 33 days of in-person learning starting January 25 before shifting to remote instruction on February 28, with online classes continuing for more than 41 consecutive days.

Student locked out of platform for two months

While classmates attended virtual lessons, the student was locked out of the Microsoft Teams platform because of a persistent technical fault that lasted until April. The platform has been Kuwait's primary remote learning tool since November 2020, when the Education Ministry partnered with Microsoft to provide Office 365 and Teams access to over 400,000 educators and students nationwide.

Technical difficulties with online learning platforms have been a recurring problem in Kuwait's education system. Multiple students and teachers have reported platform failures and connectivity issues during remote learning periods, with school principals describing widespread breakdowns. Research on Kuwait's educational technology found that more than 55 percent of students experienced technical problems accessing learning management systems.

Ministry failed student despite completed work

Once the technical problem was resolved, the student completed and submitted all required assignments and academic work, according to her lawyer. He argued that the circumstances at the time prevented her from reporting the issue to school administrators while it was occurring.

Despite evidence that the technical failure was beyond the student's control, the Education Ministry marked her absences as unjustified and assessed her academic performance as poor, resulting in a failing grade for the year. The ministry faced broader challenges during remote learning periods in accurately assessing student achievement due to limited student-teacher interaction and difficulties ensuring consistent participation.

Court orders student's promotion

The student and her family challenged the decision in court. After examining the circumstances and evidence relating to the technical malfunction, Kuwait's Administrative Court, which has jurisdiction over disputes involving government administrative decisions under Decree Law No. 20 of 1981, annulled the ministry's decision.

The court's ruling cancels both the failing result and the poor assessment, ordering the ministry to recognize the student as having successfully completed the academic year. The decision prevents the student from repeating an entire grade because of the prolonged platform access problem.

The ministry has historically accepted court rulings that overturn its administrative decisions, having previously stated it respects the law and court sentences when complying with similar judgments.

Ongoing challenges with digital education

Kuwait's educational institutions have acknowledged lacking experience in distance and digital education, with officials recognizing that multi-level technical and educational challenges require action plans to address implementation problems. While GCC countries made progress in remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to digital transformation investments, challenges related to insufficient digital preparedness and connectivity issues have persisted in certain markets across the region.