TAIF: The Ministry of Education has decided to oblige all government and private schools, pupils and families to sign an annual contract that aims to enhance school discipline, and raise and correct the conduct of students in light of the Kingdom’s education policies.

Pupils and families should pledge to abide by good manners, respect school instructions and regulations, and bear the responsibility of not violating school regulations. Parents should review the rules of behavior and abide by rules and regulations of school conduct.

The ministry stated it aims to enhance and correct school performance by providing an attractive school environment, and come up with a school culture that encourages discipline and strives to achieve it within an educational value system.

The school contract requires the signature of the pupil, and the name and workplace of the parent, in addition to his telephone numbers, the signature of the school undersecretary for student affairs and the signature of the school principal.

Behavioral violations include first degree violations which are non-abidance by the school uniform; obstructing classes; and repeated entry and exit before the end of the school period.

Second degree violations include cheating during exams, creating chaos and havoc inside the school or its vehicles; disrespecting schoolbooks; and running away from class.

Third degree violations include having cigarettes; forging guardian’s signature; and possessing banned media materials.

Fourth degree violations include leaving prayers without a proper excuse; playing with dangerous materials; smoking on school premises; running away from school; bullying; forging school documents or imitating school stamps; and tampering with school property.

Fifth degree violations include damaging school equipment such as computers and electric equipment; threatening students with firearms; using stamps or official documents in an irregular manner; sexual harassment or taking photos of students, especially girls; and setting fire inside the school.

Sixth grade violations include taking Islamic teachings in vain; adopting destructive thoughts; possessing drugs or promoting them; leading others to commit immoral acts; practicing magic; information technology crimes; and using firearms or sharp instruments.

The ministry set a number of rules to activate this contract including activating the role of the counseling committee; activating conduct rules and using them to deal with behavioral violations; gradual implementing procedures; taking suitable procedures with violating students; notifying parents about grade deductions; coordinating with teachers responsible for educational activities implemented inside the school to deal with violating students; documenting violating behaviors and referring them to the educational directorate to make an inventory of behavioral violations.

Dr. Haya Al-Awad, undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for girls’ learning, said the ministry gave educational directors the authority to approve the punishment of behavioral violations committed by pupils, saying information technology crimes have been added to these violations.

She added that it is the ministry’s responsibility to build a responsible generation and provide an educational environment that will implement and conduct rules and attendance for students at the intermediary and secondary stages.

“We tried to involve relevant bodies in the modernization and development of conduct rules, and include notes and field representations as well as future development from the practical reality to implement rules with the pupils and their families to become effective next scholastic year,” she said.

She said development included various conduct rules, and some violations that gather between two punishments such as not bringing schoolbooks and supplies, or failure to do homework; some violations have been amended such as photography. A special chapter has been added in regards to pupils’ violations toward teachers and administrators, and the grade of these violations has been raised. These violations are represented in, threatening teachers and blackmailing them, and abusing school employees.

The gravity of some violations that are committed during examinations has been raised such as tampering with school property, safety and security equipment, and possessing firearms.