JEDDAH: The Ministry of Education has called on private and public schools not to collect fees for school trips from students and has, instead, asked schools to finance their trips through other means.
“Schools should collect money from other means, such as school tuck shops, and not from students,” said Abdul Aziz Al-Jarallah, spokesman for the Ministry of Education. “School administrations should figure out alternative ways to finance trips,” he said, adding that the rule applies to both private and public schools.
Father of three Ahmed Ibrahim said his son’s school, a government-funded one, has asked him to pay SR40 for a trip to the Mall of Arabia in Jeddah. “The school has organized this trip and has said the money is for the play area inside,” said Ibrahim.
“I don’t mind paying the money but I know that the ministry does not agree with schools taking money from students,” said Ibrahim, adding that the rule is not adhered to.
Although school principals know about the rule, they believe it is difficult to find alternative sources of funds. “Usually a school’s budget is not enough to cover trips,” said Fahad Al-Asmar, a vice principal at a school in Jeddah.
He added that money generated from school tuck shops cannot cover expenses and that money raised through them go toward maintenance and other activities.
Mariam Anwar, a mother of a ninth grade pupil, said taking money from students is OK if the school provides quality trips. Her daughter goes to a private school where children spend the entire day on trips. “They charge from between SR50 to SR150 a trip,” she said, adding that her daughter has also been on a trip to the beach in Obhur.
“Charging students for trips is fine by me. However, what doesn’t make sense is charging for art material when they don’t even use half the stuff,” said Anwar.
Mother Abeer Abdullah said her child’s public school once asked for money for a trip to the Jeddah Corniche. “They took my seven-year-old child to wander around the Corniche. How much money do they need for that?” said Abdullah.
