JEDDAH: Elementary schools in Jeddah were left baffled on Saturday after receiving a Ministry of Education circular asking them to remain open although schoolchildren have completed their first semester and should now be on holiday.
Parents also expressed their surprise at the extension of the semester, adding that their children are only going to school to play and not study.
“This is obvious by the fact that elementary schools opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 9.30 a.m. The children must have spent those two-and-a-half hours playing instead of studying,” said a father who asked for his name not to be published.
Other parents, particularly dads, expressed concern at the decision. “We’re totally confused and it’s having a problem with our bosses at work. Instead of leaving work to go and pick our kids up from school at 12.30 a.m., we’re now leaving work at 9.30 a.m.,” said one father.
Teachers also expressed concern at the Ministry of Education decision, which they said is not in the best interests of students.
“If the extension of the school term is to force teachers to remain at school and prevent them from enjoying the mid-year school vacation, then why doesn’t the ministry organize training sessions that would benefit both teachers and students?” said one teacher who asked not to be named. Abdul Aziz Al-Zahrani said he is in an embarrassing situation at work because he is forced to leave and pick his son up just two hours after arriving in office.
“It’s a strange move. It’s utterly useless to make students go to school. They have nothing to do there except play as they’ve completed their syllabus and have nothing to study,” he said.
Al-Zahrani said the school day has become a monotonous routine for elementary school students who only go to school to ensure they have a full attendance record.
“I would like to ask the ministry who this semester extension is aimed at. If it’s the students then what are they going to learn now since the syllabus has been covered? If it’s the teachers then why are students involved?”
Ali Marzouqi had a fright when he asked his daughters what they did at school.
“We spent all our time playing, they told me,” he said.
He called on the Ministry of Education to put no more pressure on parents who are forced to undertake two pickups if they have children in both elementary and intermediate or secondary schools.
“We consider the elementary school holidays an opportunity to concentrate on our sons and daughters who are in intermediate and secondary schools. The ministry’s decision now deprives us from concentrating on them,” he said.
A teacher, who asked only to be identified by his initials, A.H., said many schools have asked only those pupils who have not completed all of their required lessons to come to school during the holidays.
“There is no need for all students to come to school, particularly since the entire syllabus has been completed and most students have perfected all of their required skills. This week we’re working from seven to nine re-teaching students the skills and will examine them next week,” he said.
Hamid Al-Johani, an elementary school teacher, said if the ministry wants to deprive teachers from enjoying their holidays, it could have organized training sessions, something that would have been more useful.
A Traffic Police source said the traffic situation is presently confusing. “Now we have some students leaving schools at 9:30 a.m. and others leaving at 12.30 p.m. Before, all students, regardless of which level they were at, used to leave school at the same time,” he added.
