Okaz / Saudi Gazette

MAKKAH — After a summer vacation of 110 days, more than 540,000 teachers on Sunday returned to more than 37,000 schools in various parts of the Kingdom signaling the beginning of the 2017-2018 academic year.

Simultaneously, about 1.17 million government employees resumed work after a 16-day Eid holiday.

The Ministry of Education said the maintenance and cleaning contracts were completed in 40 educational departments covering 487 schools.

It said 42 educational departments, representing about 97 percent, are ready to begin the new academic year and added that 96% of new school buildings have been completed.

The ministry said 7,466 new educational jobs for men and women teachers were approved in addition to the employment of 1,200 women teachers in kindergartens.

According to the ministry, 183,740 new male, 193,272 female students were registered this year bringing up the number of the registered new school students in the Kingdom to 377,012.

A survey conducted on Twitter disclosed that about 92 percent of male and female teachers have rejected the extra activity classes.

More than 39,000 men and women teachers have said NO to activity classes which the Ministry of Education is planning to introduce in school syllabi starting this year.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Civil Service said a total of 1,177,824 men and women government employees resumed work on Sunday after Eid Al-Adha holidays.