Educational departments in the Kingdom's 13 regions said they used the break to gear up for the new academic year and are ready to welcome students.
In a statement on the occasion, Education Minister Prince Faisal bin Abdullah emphasized the role of teachers in promoting education. "They are the most important element in the education process," he said.
The minister said that it has been decided to observe this academic year as the Year of Teachers considering their important role in education and building a new generation capable of achieving continuous progress.
"We appreciate your contributions in imparting knowledge and building character of the people of this country," Prince Faisal said. He highlighted his ministry's efforts to promote the Kingdom's educational standards by upgrading curriculums and developing the capabilities of teachers.
He referred to the efforts to develop Qur'an education and teaching the Arabic language. "We are also working on comprehensive development of the secondary education system in order to prepare students for higher studies," he pointed out.
The minister disclosed plans to establish more nurseries and improve their standard and activities. He hoped the implementation of the King Abdullah project for the development of public education would bring about dramatic progress in the country.
Meanwhile, education departments urged all teachers to be present in their schools without failure, adding that absentees would be punished. "A two-day salary deduction will be imposed on a teacher for each day of absence if he or she fails to attend classes without a genuine reason," a circular said. Students who are absent after vacation will also lose two days from their records, it added.
There are more than five million students and over 500,000 teachers in the Kingdom's 33,000 public schools. In addition there are about 2,000 Qur'an memorization schools with 260,000 students, 762 adult education centers for men with 15,000 students and 3,270 centers for women with 81,000 students.
In consideration of the students’ health, the ministry has established about 100 health centers for boys in addition to several health centers at girls’ schools across the country.
Deputy Education Minister Faisal bin Muammar said the government has constructed 680 new schools in different parts of the country at a total cost of SR6 billion as part of its efforts to enhance educational facilities for boys and girls.
“The school buildings will help the ministry replace many schools that were being run in rented buildings,” he said.
Saud Al-Zahrani, director of education in Madinah, said 62 new institutions, including 49 nurseries and six secondary schools, would open in the region this academic year. “We have received 12 educational projects that were completed at a total cost of SR70 million,” he added.
