diff --git a/backend/app/Controllers/CurriculumController.php b/backend/app/Controllers/CurriculumController.php
index 52b76b6..a5ccc3e 100644
--- a/backend/app/Controllers/CurriculumController.php
+++ b/backend/app/Controllers/CurriculumController.php
@@ -73,9 +73,10 @@ class CurriculumController
             error_reporting(E_ALL);
             ob_start();
             
-            // Execute the script logic natively by setting argv
-            $argv = ['curriculum_worker.php', $taskId];
-            $_SERVER['argv'] = $argv;
+            // CRITICAL: Set $GLOBALS['argv'] so the required worker script can access $argv[1]
+            // (In a web request, $argv is empty — we must set it globally before requiring the worker)
+            $GLOBALS['argv'] = ['curriculum_worker.php', $taskId];
+            $_SERVER['argv'] = $GLOBALS['argv'];
             
             require $scriptPath;
             
diff --git a/backend/app/Views/StudentPortal.php b/backend/app/Views/StudentPortal.php
index fe01635..15397e3 100644
--- a/backend/app/Views/StudentPortal.php
+++ b/backend/app/Views/StudentPortal.php
@@ -637,7 +637,7 @@ class StudentPortal
         </div>
 
         <!-- 2. STUDENT DASHBOARD (100% REAL DATABASE DATA) -->
-        <div id="dashboard_container" style="width: 100%;">
+        <div id="dashboard_container" style="width: 100%; display: none;">
             
             <!-- Hero & Tawjihi Readiness Score -->
             <div class="dashboard-hero">
@@ -1119,15 +1119,9 @@ class StudentPortal
 
         document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', async () => {
             const token = localStorage.getItem('saqel_student_jwt');
-            const cachedUser = localStorage.getItem('saqel_student_user');
             
             if (token) {
-                if (cachedUser) {
-                    try {
-                        const u = JSON.parse(cachedUser);
-                        renderDashboard(u);
-                    } catch (e) {}
-                }
+                // Always verify session with server — don't render from cache directly
                 initWebSocket(token);
                 await checkStudentSession(token);
             }
diff --git a/backend/app/Views/TeacherPortal.php b/backend/app/Views/TeacherPortal.php
index 3e20505..301d984 100644
--- a/backend/app/Views/TeacherPortal.php
+++ b/backend/app/Views/TeacherPortal.php
@@ -391,10 +391,8 @@ class TeacherPortal
                             </select>
                         </div>
 
-                        <div class="form-group">
-                            <label class="form-label">تعيين كلمة المرور السرية <span style="color: #EF4444;">*</span></label>
-                            <input type="password" id="onboard_password" placeholder="8 خانات على الأقل" class="input-text">
-                        </div>
+
+                        <!-- Password field removed: OTP-based auth, no password needed for initial setup -->
 
                         <button type="button" id="btn_complete_onboarding" onclick="handleCompleteOnboarding(event)" class="btn-primary">
                             <span id="btn_onboard_text">حفظ وتفعيل لوحة التحكم 🚀</span>
@@ -665,14 +663,9 @@ class TeacherPortal
 
         document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', async () => {
             const token = localStorage.getItem('saqel_teacher_jwt');
-            const cachedUser = localStorage.getItem('saqel_teacher_user');
             if (token) {
-                if (cachedUser) {
-                    try {
-                        const u = JSON.parse(cachedUser);
-                        renderDashboard(u, { specialization: u.specialization || 'المعلم المعتمد' });
-                    } catch (e) {}
-                }
+                // Always verify session first — don't blindly render from cache
+                // checkTeacherSession will render dashboard or show onboarding based on profile status
                 initWebSocket(token);
                 await checkTeacherSession(token);
             }
@@ -1120,6 +1113,10 @@ class TeacherPortal
         }
 
         function switchToOnboardingStep() {
+            // Restore auth container, hide dashboard (renderDashboard may have hidden auth_container)
+            document.getElementById('auth_container').style.display = 'block';
+            document.getElementById('dashboard_container').style.display = 'none';
+            // Show only onboarding step
             document.getElementById('step_phone_container').style.display = 'none';
             document.getElementById('step_otp_container').style.display = 'none';
             document.getElementById('step_onboarding_container').style.display = 'block';
@@ -1217,21 +1214,14 @@ class TeacherPortal
                 if (res.ok && data.status === 'success' && data.data?.token) {
                     const token = data.data.token;
                     const user = data.data.user;
-                    const profile = data.data.profile || {};
                     localStorage.setItem('saqel_teacher_jwt', token);
                     document.cookie = "saqel_teacher_jwt=" + token + "; path=/; max-age=2592000; SameSite=Lax";
-                    initWebSocket(token);
-                    
-                    const isNewTeacher = user?.is_new || user?.full_name === 'معلم جديد' || user?.name === 'معلم جديد' || user?.name === 'الأستاذ المعتمد';
-                    if (isNewTeacher) {
-                        switchToOnboardingStep();
-                    } else {
-                        if (user) {
-                            localStorage.setItem('saqel_teacher_user', JSON.stringify({ ...user, ...profile }));
-                        }
-                        renderDashboard(user, profile);
-                        await checkTeacherSession(token);
+                    if (user) {
+                        localStorage.setItem('saqel_teacher_user', JSON.stringify(user));
                     }
+                    initWebSocket(token);
+                    // Let checkTeacherSession decide: if profile is incomplete → onboarding, else → dashboard
+                    await checkTeacherSession(token);
                 } else {
                     showError(data.message || 'رمز التحقق غير صحيح');
                 }
@@ -1249,12 +1239,22 @@ class TeacherPortal
             const token = localStorage.getItem('saqel_teacher_jwt');
             const fullName = document.getElementById('onboard_fullname').value.trim();
             const spec = document.getElementById('onboard_specialization').value;
-            const password = document.getElementById('onboard_password').value.trim();
 
-            if (!fullName || !password || password.length < 8) {
-                showError('يرجى تعبئة كافة الحقول وكلمة مرور 8 خانات على الأقل');
+            if (!fullName || fullName.length < 3) {
+                showError('يرجى إدخال الاسم الكامل للمعلم');
                 return;
             }
+            if (!spec) {
+                showError('يرجى تحديد التخصص والمادة');
+                return;
+            }
+
+            const onboardBtn = document.getElementById('btn_complete_onboarding');
+            const onboardText = document.getElementById('btn_onboard_text');
+            const onboardSpinner = document.getElementById('btn_onboard_spinner');
+            onboardBtn.disabled = true;
+            onboardText.style.display = 'none';
+            onboardSpinner.style.display = 'inline-block';
 
             try {
                 const res = await fetch('/api/teacher/profile/setup', {
@@ -1263,16 +1263,23 @@ class TeacherPortal
                         'Content-Type': 'application/json',
                         'Authorization': 'Bearer ' + token
                     },
-                    body: JSON.stringify({ full_name: fullName, specialization: spec, password: password })
+                    body: JSON.stringify({ full_name: fullName, specialization: spec })
                 });
                 const data = await res.json();
                 if (res.ok && data.status === 'success') {
                     const u = { full_name: fullName, specialization: spec };
                     localStorage.setItem('saqel_teacher_user', JSON.stringify(u));
                     renderDashboard(u, { specialization: spec });
+                    showLuxuryToast('أهلاً بك أستاذنا! 🎓', 'تم تفعيل ملفك الأكاديمي بنجاح.');
+                } else {
+                    showError(data.message || 'فشل حفظ البيانات');
                 }
             } catch (e) {
-                showError('فشل حفظ الملف.');
+                showError('تعذر الاتصال بالسيرفر. يرجى المحاولة مجدداً.');
+            } finally {
+                onboardBtn.disabled = false;
+                onboardText.style.display = 'inline';
+                onboardSpinner.style.display = 'none';
             }
         }