SAUDI ARABIA

Teachers question ministry's mandatory attendance decision

April 21, 2018
Dr. Ahmed Al-Essa
Dr. Ahmed Al-Essa

Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Minister of Education Dr. Ahmed Al-Essa on Thursday issued a decision mandating teachers to attend schools during class suspensions as a result of climate change, only if the suspension decision was issued by a central committee of the ministry, Al-Watan reported.

The decision came as a shock to many teachers, who will have to work in empty schools sans students and without purpose, because their work is related to the presence of students in the classroom.

In fact, many felt that they would endanger themselves and their health, especially those working in remote areas and away from their residence and are forced to travel long distances to reach their schools, as well as those who suffer from respiratory diseases, and are forced to work in dusty atmospheres.

In addition, they voiced their concern at the risk of flooding and traffic accidents in case the suspension is due to rain and weather changes.

The Ministry of Education announced that new arrangements are to be implemented at the beginning of the next school year regarding suspension of classes due to climatic conditions and changes. The ministry indicated that the final decision to suspend classes would be directly within its responsibilities after coordination with the relevant authorities in the governorates of the regions and the Department of Meteorology and Protection Environment and the Civil Defense.

In a decision distributed to schools yesterday, the ministry assigned responsibility for the decision to suspend classes due to weather conditions to a newly created central committee headed by the deputy minister, and its members include the boys and girls education deputies, the school affairs deputy, the director general of security and safety, and the director of education in the area where the decision to suspend school is taken.

The ministry also gave authority to the committee to comment on the results of climate conditions in some schools and not the others without the need to comment on all schools in the region. It also has the right to suspend classes for boys and girls students only, without teachers and administrative staff who are required to attend school to prepare for other days.

The ministry's directive stipulates parents' responsibility to make appropriate decisions regarding their children who have health conditions that prevent them from attending school due to climate changes if classes were not suspended.

Social networking sites, including Twitter, have been mostly commenting on and rejecting the ministry's decision since it was announced on Thursday morning.

A Tweet by Khalid Al-Awaji said, "What is the benefit of teachers attending schools without students? Is there a convincing answer? Does anyone think of traveling 300 kilometers or more? Do you realize the magnitude of psychological and financial losses?"

Another person tweeted saying, "When the climate is tough due to rain, floods and dust, suspending classes happens due to the difficulty of reaching the school, and this circumstance is exposing the teacher to great danger, because the student lives nearby his or her school but the teachers must travel long distances."


April 21, 2018
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