The Ministry of Education has renewed its warning to private schools not to withhold the school certificates of students who haven’t paid their school fees.

The warning comes following an increasing number of complaints from parents about the refusal of several schools to release their children’s documents until fees have been settled. Officials have said that such actions violate educational rules and regulations and that outstanding fees can be obtained through other means.

Ministry sources told local media that more than 60,000 school certificates have been withheld at private schools due to unpaid fees.

Schools have based their actions on a recent judicial resolution allowing schools to withhold students’ school documents if fees have not been paid.

The source said that this is a rights-related issue and that schools provide a service in return for a fee. There is an estimated SR2 billion in outstanding school fees.

School owners said the Ministry of Education has harmed their financial interests by forcing them to deliver certificates to those who have failed to pay their fees.

They refuted their authority, saying the ministry’s role is limited to a technical supervisory role and that the bulk of responsibility lies with the Ministries of Commerce and Labor.

Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, a school headmaster, said 40 percent of pupils at his school failed to pay fees although he has documents in his possession that oblige them to pay.

Al-Ghamdi maintains that he is implementing the judicial resolution and will not deliver school certificates until he gets the payments. “I am owed SR1 million in school fees,” said Al-Ghamdi.

Eid Al-Harithi said he has 150 pupils who have not paid their fees, which is equivalent to more than 45 percent of the total number of students attending the school. Al-Harithi, however, says that he is committed to the ministry’s decision even though it harms the interest of his school.

He said he has not heard about the judicial resolution which states that school documents should be withheld until accounts are settled.