The Education Department has set up a committee to investigate a fight that ensued between the owner of a private school in Jeddah’s Rehab district and the school’s manager. The fighting follows the retrenchment of a number of Saudi teachers from the school by the owner last week.

According to a report carried by sabq.org electronic daily, the Saudis, including the deputy manager of the school were fired without receiving prior notice.

“The incident led to a fight between the school’s manager and the owner. Students got involved and tried to lock the owner inside a room,” the Arabic daily reported. Police had to intervene to end the fight and restore normalcy to the school.

Abdullah Al-Thaqafi, director of education in Jeddah, has called for an investigation into the incident and tough measures against culprits.

Some students, according to sabq, had used the opportunity to break the school’s glass doors and windows, and as a result sustained injuries.

First Lt. Nawaf Al-Bouq, spokesman of Jeddah police, confirmed the report and said security officers reached the school complex soon after hearing the news.

“Police have noticed that some students sustained minor injuries and were given first aid treatment,” he added.

He indicated that a committee from the Education Department also visited the school to investigate the incident.

Ali Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, spokesman of Saudi Red Crescent Authority in the Makkah region, said his officers provided first-aid treatment to two people following the incident, adding that no one was transferred to the hospital.

The reason behind the fight that arose between the manager and the owner remains unclear.

Some bloggers, who introduced themselves as the school’s students, claimed that the owner wanted to charge SR5,000 per student, instead of SR2,000. The manager did not agree with owner’s decision to raise fees and the students joined the fight in support of the manager.