Expatriate community living in the Kingdom is extremely grateful to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and his government. The recent compassionate announcements by Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Interior have provided much needed relief to expatriate community. However, there is a major concern among expatriate community with regard to education of their children.

If housewives, who are working as teachers in the primary sections of various community and international schools, are barred from teaching, thousands of schoolchildren who will be left with no schooling. In a discussion I had with the principal of one of the community schools in Riyadh, it was revealed that his facility is comparatively smaller compared to other community schools in the capital but it is about to celebrate its silver jubilee. He was proud that his school has produced so far well over 35 professionals, doctors, engineers and accountants, through affiliated universities in the West as well as in the East.

He said out of his 50 teaching staff only 21 are on school’s sponsorship and the rest are housewives though they are professionally qualified to teach. He does not know that how many of them will be prepared to change their sponsorship to the school.

Failing to obtain their consent, he said, he has no alternative but to close down the primary section of the school, leaving a large number of children with no schooling.

Just imagine the thousands of expatriate children who will be left without schooling in such a case. We are positive that the Ministry of Education will intervene on the issue. — S.H. Moulana, Riyadh