The Education Ministry has dismissed a proposal to introduce a system facilitating transfer of teachers, describing it as unfair to both male and female teachers.

“If a female teacher in Riyadh wants to be transferred to Al-Kharj, and vice-versa, the chances of other female teachers in the same specialty living in remote areas who are also seeking transfer to other regions will be nill,” explained Saad Al-Fuhaid, undersecretary for school affairs at the ministry.

Al-Fuhaid told local newspapers that a growing number of applications of teachers seeking transfer has been submitted this year. “Makkah has the biggest number of male teachers seeking transfer with 5,229 applications, while Riyadh accounts for the highest number of female teachers seeking transfers with 7,241 applications,” he said.

Stating that the ministry was considering establishment of housing complexes within the school premises for teachers in remote areas, he said: “But the implementation of such a project will take time and needs providing adequate security.”

Al-Fuhaid was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of a website for transfer inquiries for teachers of both sexes for this academic year. He confirmed that the ministry has no intention to back out on its decision to cancel stating the place of residency as a precondition for appointments.

“The Education Ministry has discovered cases of fraud and cheating in this regard and the system has proved it is unfair to female teachers,” he pointed out.

Commenting on the ratio between injustice and grievance in the transfer movement last year, he said: “It was a low percentage, not more than 100 applications in total.”