Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH – The Ministry of Education has closed down 113 private and international schools after they failed to abide by its condition that they should operate in own school buildings not in rented buildings that are not designed for educational purpose.

The ministry closed the schools on Wednesday, May 23, 2018 at the end of the grace period given to them, said Dr. Saad Bin Saud Al-Fehaid, deputy minister for private education, while speaking to Al-Madina Arabic daily.

The ministry arranged seats for 19,828 students in government and private schools after the closure of their private and international schools, the paper added.

Al-Fehaid emphasized the supportive role of private educational institutions. “We want to promote competition between schools for the benefit of students. This will help them receive added value.”

He stressed the ministry’s plan to establish more model schools across the Kingdom as part of its efforts to improve the country’s educational standard.

Two years ago on June 14, 2016 the ministry decided to stop issuing licenses to private schools that do not have own buildings designed for educational purpose. It had given investors in the sector two years to correct their situation and move to educational buildings.

The ministry’s decision targeted 2,041 private schools and operated in rented buildings that were not designed for education. About 1,129 nurseries were exempted from the decision.

Al-Fehaid said the ministry’s decision to encourage private schools to establish educational buildings would have its positive impact. As a result, investors in education currently implement 95 projects in 14 cities across the Kingdom, spending more than SR1.54 billion.

These schools will accommodate 27,672 students including girls. Seventy-six new schools have been established in 20 cities and townships, he said, adding that they will have a capacity to accommodate 62,170 boys and girls, Al-Fehaid explained.

He said many investors in the sector are now in the process of shifting to new buildings designed in accordance with the conditions set by the ministry. “There are 21 such projects with 65 educational levels being constructed in nine regions,” he pointed out.

The ministry has launched the Tadarruj project in association with Tatweer company in order to transform existing school buildings to match with the ministry’s requirements. About 1,340 investors have joined the program and their schools serve 730,000 students.

The ministry has given them one to four-year grace period to develop their school buildings. A total 857 school buildings have got a grace period of four years to change their status while 474 schools a period of two years and nine schools one year.