Expat Qur’an teachers left in a limbo

Hundreds of Qur’an memorization schools run by expatriates in the Kingdom are back to normal. Yet uncertainty still looms for thousands of expatriate Qur’an students since almost all the teachers at these schools are working contrary to the profession stated in their work and residency permits.
Teachers were originally warned to either change their sponsorship or leave the Kingdom, but reports then surfaced that the Labor Ministry had agreed to be lenient toward Qur’an memorization teachers and schools on condition that the profession is stated on the residency permit of the teachers and after they obtain the approval of the sponsor.
The decision came after several Qur’an schools and charitable organizations approached the Ministries of Islamic Affairs, Labor and Interior for assistance.
Thousands of Qur’an schools are run by expatriates, mainly from India and Pakistan. Most of them are located in the Western Province. Around 300 Qur’an memorization schools are located in Jeddah alone. There are also hundreds of expatriates from Bangladesh who work during the evenings, teaching Qur’an to students in their homes.
There was a massive crackdown on expatriate-run Qur’an schools four years ago, but they were later reopened by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance with the help of charitable organizations.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Sheikh, secretary of the Ministry of Islamic affairs, recently said that the ministry is working on a solution to the crisis. Nevertheless, there are just a handful of teachers whose information on iqamas match with their profession.
Many of the schools have increased their tuition fees and teachers who visit pupils’ homes have followed suit, citing the “cost of sponsorship” as the reason for their fee increase.
An expatriate who has been running a Qur’an memorization school in Jeddah for 26 years told Arab News: “I am respected by students, parents and even Saudis. I don’t want to return to my country with the tag of being an illegal worker.”