The Ministry of Education will pay up to SR100,000 in compensation if a student dies or is disabled traveling to and from school, during classes or while training.

This is one of several amendments to regulations issued by the Council of Ministers in 1982, introduced by Minister of Education Prince Khaled Al-Faisal recently.

“Compensation will be paid in full in the case of death, or if the pupil suffers from a permanent or partial disability that prevents him from continuing his studies,” a source said.

“Compensation is limited to death and disability during study or training, or if the incident occurs while the pupil was going or coming from school,” the source said.

The amendments set out new criteria for getting compensation. This includes that the accident was not deliberate, or initiated by someone seeking benefit from it. The accident should also not have been caused by a criminal act committed by the pupil.

The ministry requires a school principal to write a report of the incident. The report should include the pupil’s name, age, class, reasons for the incident, the time and date, and names of witnesses.

The ministry would also require copies of the reports written by police investigators, and medical personnel at the facility where a pupil is treated, the source said.

The father or legal guardian of the injured or dead pupil should file an application seeking compensation. Where applicable, the application should include all details of the child including a death certificate, and medical report in the case of disability. These reports should be sent to the ministry, which would then pass them on to the Ministry of Finance for payment if compensation is approved.