JEDDAH, 30 October 2005 — Schools look like ghost towns now that Eid vacation has started. The problem is many schools looked like ghost towns the day before Eid vacation started.
“I’m not going to school tomorrow,” said high school student Manal Ibrahim. “It’s the last day before Eid vacation, and most of my friends aren’t going. Many of the teachers don’t show up anyway.”
The last day of school before Eid vacation was Wednesday, and for many students and teachers, it was a day off. In fact, the whole week was considered a write-off.
“We barely studied anything,” Ibrahim said. “Neither the teachers nor the students could concentrate or were in the mood to do anything.”
The holy month of Ramadan also happens to be a month wholly dedicated to teacher and student absenteeism, notching the highest rate throughout the year. Moreover, this year’s Ramadan has the highest rate of teacher absenteeism since record keeping began, especially during the last week before vacation, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.
The Ministry of Education imposes a double deduction on salaries for the days absent during Ramadan as a deterrent, but that doesn’t seem to have any effect. Teachers contend it’s difficult to be punctual and attentive during Ramadan because of the change in working hours, which shift from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. from the usual 7 a.m.-1 p.m., and the changes in social life that require people to stay up until wee hours of the morning.
A school principal told Arab News that she has been having trouble with one teacher who has been absent more days than not since the start of Ramadan, and every time she brings a medical excuse even though she doesn’t look sick.
Some teachers note that school principals themselves either are late to school or absent, so what can you expect from the teachers and students? Many suggest having the whole month of Ramadan as vacation because it is a month for worship, not work.
Schools began Eid vacation Saturday and resume on Nov. 12. Hopefully by then the teachers and students will be refreshed enough to make up for the slack during Ramadan.
Teacher absenteeism year round is one of five major problems identified by the Education Administration for Girls in the Jeddah Region. Although the problem is common across all the regions and among men and women teachers, Jeddah Region administrators made it a priority issue. The other four issues are the increased rate of 10th-grade student failure, proper training mechanisms, establishing cohesion between school plans and administration plans and an excess of extracurricular activities. Committees have formed to examine each of these issues and propose solutions — probably after Eid vacation.
