The Eastern Province education department has stopped 76 out of 270 private schools in the region from raising fees because they failed to meet Saudization quotas, and security and safety requirements.

The schools had not complied with these requirements despite being given a grace period to do so, according to a recent local media report.

Female supervisors in the department said inspections would continue throughout the year, and that schools would be given time to correct the status of their work force and sort out other problems.

Widad Ali, a supervisor in the department, said 40 inspections have been conducted so far this year. “We recorded the most important violations. Certain schools were given various periods to correct their status, depending on the magnitude and type of violation. Those who did not correct their status within the grace period were denied the right to raise fees for the forthcoming academic year.”

One school headmaster said the violations involved correcting the status of foreign workers, and did not concern security and safety measures. He said many schools were be taken by surprise by the unannounced inspections.

The Education Ministry earlier decided to allow 3,000 international schools to raise their fees by SR1,000 for each student for the coming academic year.

Mansour Al-Khunaizan, chairman of the national committee for private and international education at the Council of Saudi Chambers, confirmed that the ministry allowed schools to raise their fees.

Private schools in the Kingdom had applied for a fee increase over two months ago. Their request was approved two weeks ago so that they could notify parents before registration opens for the new year.