Abdullah Rajih Al-Abdali
Okaz/Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — The Ministry of Education's decision to permanently shut down an international school in Jeddah has perplexed parents of several students who are worried that their wards may lose a precious period of the current school term.
The ministry ordered permanent closure of Red Sea International School after thorough investigations found the administration responsible for the death of a six-year-old student, Al-Madinah reported.
Jeddah Education Affairs Director Abdullah Al-Thaqafi said Abdulmalik Marwan Awadh was found dead in the school bus. “The child was forgotten in the school bus by the driver and he suffocated and died. The ministry has been investigating the incident and issued a decision to cancel the school’s license and to close the school for severe negligence,” said Al-Thaqafi.
He said the directorate is responsible for taking care of the teachers and students.
“We will overlook the school’s bank account to ensure that all of the teachers receive their paycheck and that the parents of the students get refunds for this year’s tuition fees. The directorate will overlook the transfer of the students as they have the option to enroll in an American system school or a British system school,” said Al-Thaqafi.
He also said the directorate will have the students take their final exams at a public school.
“The exams will be written by teachers from Red Sea School and they will supervise the exams as well. We will just provide the location. We have already contacted various international schools to inform them of the transference. The parents have a list of schools to choose from,” said Al-Thaqafi.
Mohammad Abdulsalam, a parent, said several parents have gathered outside the school to request the minister to postpone the shutdown decision until the end of the year.
“The sudden shutdown will affect us greatly. We have not anticipated the extra fees we will have to pay as most of the other schools are more expensive than Al-Bahr Al-Ahmar International School. My daughter will also have a hard time adjusting to the new system and level of education,” said Abdulsalam.
Mahmoud Ibrahim, a parent, said he understands the pain the family of the child who died are going through.
“We understand that what the school did was unforgivable. However, I urge the minister to not punish us as parents, students and teachers for what the administration of the school has done,” said Ibrahim.
M. A., a Saudi teacher, said her job security is on the line due to the decision of the minister.
“I have rent to pay and I cannot afford to lose my job. I don’t know what will happen. We have not been paid our salary for the past five months. I urge the minister to reconsider his decision or at least compensate us as teachers in some way,” said M. A.
She added there are 78 teachers in the school and 750 students and the Ministry of Education should ensure that all of those people are dealt with justly.
