JEDDAH: Owners of nearly 400 private schools in the Kingdom have made several demands on Education Minister Dr. Ahmed Al-Issa in exchange for withdrawing the lawsuit against him.
Demands include canceling closure decisions and giving schools a 10-year grace period, modifying requirements, and accepting private schools that were built on the model of educational institutions with housing unit licenses.
Member of the private education committee at the Jeddah and Makkah Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Zuhair Ghoneim, revealed to a local paper that owners of schools demanded the minister cancel the decision that includes giving owners of private schools in rental buildings a grace period before they are closed.
Other demands include easing access to loans for school owners and increasing support offered by the ministry to educational institutions.
He said school owners have filed lawsuits at the Office of the Ombudsman against the ministerial decision in the Eastern Province, and the first session to look into these complaints will take place soon.
Owners of private schools had been surprised with the minister’s decision to stop issuing licenses to private and international schools in rented buildings not designed for educational purposes, despite these owners bearing the burden of investment in the sector.
Investments in the sector are estimated at SR12 billion distributed among 3,400 rented schools serving 700,000 students across all grades. Nearly 60,000 teachers teach at these schools, of which, 70 percent are Saudi nationals following the recent nationalization requirements. Private schools make up 12 percent of all schools in the Kingdom.
The spokesman of the Ministry of Education has yet to comment on the demands of these private school owners.
Private schools to withdraw lawsuit against ministry if demands are met
Private schools to withdraw lawsuit against ministry if demands are met
