The department of education in the Eastern Province has warned against turning schools into shopping centers which display products.

The integrity and objectives of the environment and the process of learning must be maintained. The department informed schools in the region “not to promote any sort of products,” threatening to impose penalties on violators.

The circular states that no institution or firm will be allowed to promote any product on school premises. Schools are educational rather than commercial entities. Entities and firms can use regular marketing channels outside the schools and if any of them visit schools for marketing purposes, the relevant regulations must be followed.

Badriya Hamad, a middle-school principal, said that she had seen sales representatives visiting schools in order to sell food and cosmetics to the staff. “Such visits have been banned to maintain educational environment,” she said.

Noura Al-Issa, an educational supervisor, said any female sales representative wishing to enter the school and sell products must acquire the necessary authorization.

On another issue related to education, the Eastern Province education department stressed that taking photographs of kindergarten children and publishing them on social networking sites is strictly prohibited.

A number of kindergarten women principals said some mothers come to visit in order to obtain information about the school with an eye to enrolling their children. Some of them take photos of other children in the kindergarten and post them on social media sites. Many parents have complained about seeing photos of their children on the sites and the Ministry of Education has warned parents not to take pictures.

Nouf Al-Otaibi, director of a kindergarten in Alkhobar, warned visitors against posting the children’s photos taken during the visits.

“Nobody has the right to take photos of other children, and any family can file a complaint against the kindergarten on the grounds of breaching the child’s privacy,” she said.