Schools adjust to new weekend

The new Friday-Saturday weekend was put into effect on June 22 by administrative and academic departments in public and private educational institutions in accordance with the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
The new weekend has already been implemented within ministries, government departments and financial institutions in a move aimed at reconciling more working days with international businesses and banks to better serve the country’s economic interests.
With the start of the new academic year in sight, universities, schools and other educational institutions will have to comply. Universities and schools in the Kingdom will follow a five-workday program.
Salman Khurshid, academics director at the International Indian Public School in Riyadh, said, “The academic week will begin on Sunday and end on Thursday. We are only shifting daily academics by one day.”
Various schools forwarded the changes following directives from the Ministry of Education even though many schools were already closed and many families were already on vacation when the changes took effect.
Still, parents are confused about the implementation. “We have received no notice regarding the shift in academic schedule from the school management and are unsure as to whether such a change will immediately take effect. Some Indian schools begin their new academic year in April or May of each year,” said Muhammad Raashid Iqbal, a father of two enrolled at Al-Alia International School in Riyadh.
Many schools have considered the change vital and are already in the process of publishing newsletters with the changes. “The children will start school next week and we will send notices informing parents who still may be unaware about the changes. New timetables will be issued to students and staff,” said Samar Al-Shible, an English teacher at the 44th Elementary School, a government school.
Teachers who have already reported for duty have acted upon the decision. “We have no schedule on Saturdays now. The university will be open on Thursdays,” said Sagal Jana, an employee at the Faculty for English at Princess Noura University.