By Fatima Muhammad
Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — Up to 30 percent of all private and international schools in the Kingdom are expected to close down as the Ministry of Education is forcing the schools to register in its Tadaruj system.
All private and international schools will be obliged to start registering in the system by July 2 through certified engineering offices.
The system will prevent the registration of any school that operates in a building that is not originally constructed for a school.
About 200 education experts gathered at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) to discuss the matter. Investors have expressed concern over the ministry's requirement and said they will restrict their activities.
Sara Namshan, an engineer at Tatweer Buildings Company, said the new system was meant to enhance the quality of education provided to the children. Tatweer, she added, will be in charge of investigating the schools to ensure the fitness of buildings.
Each school, said Namshan, needs to register the standards of its building and then it will be evaluated by a specialized ministerial committee.
Tariq Al-Harazi, head of private schools committee at JCCI, noted that the engineering offices that are assigned to evaluate the schools need to be selected with care in order to be fair to the schools.
A female investor noted that her school had been operating for decades with an accommodation permit but with the new system it faces closure. She added that her school was investigated a number of times to confirm that all education facilities were available.
Mazin Kutbi, an aide to the JCCI secretary-general, said the Tadaruj system goes in line with the goals of Vision 2030. He hoped that the system would improve the education services provided to the children and at the same time serve the interests of investors.
