The Ministry of Labor (MoL) has acceded to a request of the Ministry of Education (MoE) not to conduct inspection raids on schools during the first term.
The request comes in the wake of the fact that most school managements and teachers are still in the process of completing their paperwork and attending interviews at the MoE. Most schools in Jeddah were closed Monday with managements and teachers busy completing paperwork following the end of the amnesty.
Padma Hariharan, director and head of the Novel International Group of Institutions, told Arab News that schools had received a message from the MoE saying raids on schools had been put on hold until the end of the first term. “I received this information on my mobile and I confirmed with other schools, which said they had received similar messages,” she said.
Hariharan said she had received two types of papers for her teachers, the first of which gives one term to teachers whose attestation was pending and the second states that teachers whose attestation and paperwork had been completed will have a one-year grace period before having to transfer their sponsorships.
“A term could differ from school to school based on curriculum. Schools following Indian curriculum now have six months since our term comes to an end in March,” she said.
Nashwa Sayed, a teacher at an international school, said her school was closed to facilitate completion of paperwork and interviews with the MoE. “They gave time for teachers from difference schools to undergo the interview process. As a result, schools have been closed for a day or two,” Nashwa said.
Sadiya Kaleem, principal of Al-Hekma International School, told Arab News that the school's Saudi liaison officer received a message stating that there won’t be any raids on international schools since teachers’ paperwork had not been completed. “I received a message from other school authorities mentioning that there would be no raids during the first term,” she said.
Attendance at international schools in Riyadh was hugely affected.
Around 20 to 30 percent of students failed to turn up at schools following the refusal of private transporters to continue with their services.
The amnesty deadline hit the Philippine International School the hardest, with both teachers and students failing to show up. A Filipino parent, who wished to remain anonymous, told Arab News that the biggest impact of the crackdown drive was on children's education due to a shortage of teachers at schools.
“I received a note from my children’s school informing me that classes will be irregular due to the crackdown and shortage of teachers at the school.” The school principal has asked absent teachers to schedule at least a week worth of assignments for students to be administrated by school staff, he said.
The Sri Lankan International School was also badly affected, as the school does not have its own transport system and students are picked up and dropped by private operators.
The Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi international schools suffered high absenteeism after private transport operators refused to pick up and drop students. School administrators have asked parents to find drivers for their children.
International Indian School Riyadh (IISR)'s principal Shaukat Pervez told Arab News that transportation managed by the school was operating normally but that private transporters have informed parents about their nonavailability to pick up and drop children.
Private schools get a reprieve
