Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Education authorities across the Kingdom launched on Sunday a campaign to reduce violence in schools.

The campaign, called “Rifq” (Mercy) comes as part of concerted efforts by the education authorities to raise awareness on various forms of violence among both male and female students.

The initiative, in its third year, is being supported by the Ministry of Education.

Education directorates in Riyadh, Abha, Yunbu, Al-Dawadmi and other cities organized programs encouraging school staff and students to treat each other with care and respect.

The campaign is launched in all private and public schools across all school levels.

Ali Al-Ghamdi, director of media relations and spokesman for the education directorate, said the launch of the campaign comes with great responsibility.

This campaign comes from the theoretical point of view to introduce students, school staff and parents to violence, its causes, manifestations, and effects. In practice, it comes to implement the preventive and curative activities of the program to reduce violence in all schools and at all levels.

He said the schools have the responsibility of teaching their students and staff good manners and exemplary behavior.

“Schools are meant to be a second home to everyone who is in it. They should feel safe and secure in them. The first thing the program will do is educate students and their parents on the definition of violence as well as its causes and effects,” said Al-Ghamdi.

He said the program was launched in public and private schools alike.

“The campaign aims to protect the students from anything that affects their psychological, educational and social well being,” Al-Ghamdi said.

He also expects the campaign to continue and will be implemented in every school in Saudi Arabia. “Everyone has a right to be educated in a non-violent environment,” he said.

The program aims to encourage good will and a sense of forgiving among people, educate them and explain to them the definition of violence and its forms, create a safe environment in schools, instill principles of ethics and good behavior, offer early intervention solutions to curb violence, and instill social and interpersonal skills among students, said Al-Ghamdi.

Everyone has a right to be educated in a non-violent environment.