RIYADH: Private school education standards are dropping because there are too many junior teachers being employed, according to the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI).

Othman Al-Qasabi, chairperson of the RCCI’s private education committee, said that the committee has urged the Education Ministry to ensure experienced teachers mentor those who have just entered the profession as is the case in developed countries.

Al-Qasabi said there is need to further expand teacher training in new methods under the scholarship program offered by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman. This would develop a core of skilled educators, he said.

He said the committee was waiting for a reply from the Education Ministry on its recommendations, which include the classification of schools according to accepted national standards.

Al-Qasabi said schools should not only be evaluated on their buildings but on their final product, which are their students. There should also be a revision of the ministry’s funding model because it was not “logical” for all schools to be treated equally, he said.

He said that the Kingdom needs to develop its teachers to ensure they can tackle future challenges, in the same way that the nation had reduced illiteracy from 95 percent to around 5 percent over the past 50 years.

He said the joint efforts of the Education and Labor Ministries have seen benefits and remuneration improve for teachers, especially at small- and medium-sized schools.

He said that Riyadh has the most private schools in the country, at 34 percent. It also has four schools in the nation’s top 10 private schools.