Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Minister of Education Ahmed Al-Issa has said his ministry will not reconsider an earlier decision asking all non-teaching staff to report to work in their respective schools and offices on Dhul Qadah 16, 1439 AH, following the summer vacation.

The decision requires all employees holding administrative jobs, including female staff, to return to work about 10 days before the end of the 45-day annual summer break.

The minister said this while responding to a question from Okaz/Saudi Gazette during a press conference held in Riyadh on Thursday to announce the scheduled launch of the 6th International Exhibition and Forum on Education (Taleem 2018).

Al-Issa clarified that employees in teaching posts deserve a 45-day annual vacation, but male and female administrators will be allowed only a 36-day vacation in line with civil service regulations.

He said the two weeks prior to the Eid Al-Adha holidays were very important to the ministry's work. The administrative staff are required to resume work on the specified date in order to make necessary preparations for the new academic year, including the distribution of textbooks, the minister added.

He sought the cooperation of the media to drive home the seriousness of the decision. "If the preparations for the start of the academic year are inadequate, the same media will criticize the ministry for its inefficiency," Al-Issa said.

Answering a question regarding the number of Brotherhood sympathizers who were removed from the education sector, Al-Issa said the current phase required the monitoring of all activities in schools and messages posted on social media websites by the education staff.

"Special committees are formed to investigate suspicious activities by educators. When any inappropriate action by any staff member is detected, it will be dealt with immediately and the matter will be reported to the security authorities," Al-Issa said, adding that security personnel will determine the level of danger posed by each case.

Al-Issa stressed his ministry's determination to cleanse the education sector from all undesirable practices. He expressed appreciation for the role of leading officials in education administrations and schools to rectify the mistakes of the past that severely affected the national solidarity.