DAMMAM: School owners have requested the Ministry of Education to reconsider its decision to stop granting permits to private schools that use rented buildings.

Investors asked the ministry to grant the schools two years to adapt to the situation. The global education committee at the Council of Saudi Chambers sent a letter to this effect to the minister of education.

The committee suggested that competition be used as a rule to reduce inadequacy in certain schools. It added that using market strategies such as increasing the demand to push for better quality according to some criteria can eliminate the “bad product” from the market.

The letter declared that in order to overcome obstacles, the minister must make a decision regarding the land of the educational facilities owned by the ministry or by investors. The committee stressed that the amended conditions set by the municipalities should be adopted as agreed upon by the ministry and the global committee over a year ago.

The committee also pointed out that over eight years ago, the global committee presented the council with plans and projects that aim to promote education.

The main concern of investors was to develop the sector and provide quality education to students despite challenges.

Almost two months ago, the Ministry of Education decided to suspend permits for private and foreign schools that use rented buildings which weren’t built to host educational facilities. The ministry added that it will give those schools a two-year term to correct its situation and move to facilities built for educational purposes.

Section 3 of the decision also added that the Ministry of Education will facilitate the procedures for investors to obtain suitable land and government loans. Whereas Section 4 stated that there should be a semi-annual report about the situation of schools and the progress made.

The ministry claimed its decision would enhance the quality of private education and services provided to students. It added that the educational facility, supplies, safety measures and design play an important role in education.

Asharq Al-Awsat, a sister publication of Arab News which published the report, tried to contact the spokesperson of the Ministry of Education, Mubarak al-Osaimi, for a government response to investors’ fears regarding this decision. Osaimi didn’t respond despite repeated attempts.

Investors said that many of them had approached the Global Committee and the minister of education asking him to reconsider his decision.

The investors believe that this decision will harm investments in the education sector and lead to the closure of several schools. They added that this will also lead a large number of students to register at public schools.

According to official statistics, there are 567,000 students in private schools with 51,515 teachers. The sector is 95 percent self-funded, while 4 percent comes from government loans and 1 percent from commercial loans.

Statistics further show that 73 percent of the private schools is unincorporated enterprises, 19 percent limited liability, 3.1 percent closed shareholding, 3.1 percent unlimited, 1.8 percent partnership, and 0.4 percent foreign. The government figures also say that 73 percent of the buildings are rented and 27 percent owned.