Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — Schools are reporting absentee rates of as much as 100 percent in classes some days despite a claim by a Ministry of Education source that student absenteeism was minimal. Student absenteeism is an old problem, the source added, and 72 supervisors have been assigned by the ministry to crack down on this trend. He added some parents believe the last days of school before a holiday are not important and they let their children skip school so they can travel. Teachers, however, have to prove their attendance by going to school. Some teachers pointed out that despite schools threatening students with lower marks if they skip school for no reason, absenteeism tends to increase dramatically just before and after each holiday period. They emphasized the role of families in encouraging their children to attend school, as the mid-term exams are only two months away. They called on the ministry to find solutions to tackle mass absenteeism and implement effective deterrents. Spokesman for the Ministry of Education Mohammad Al-Dekhainy told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that the ministry would implement tougher attendance and behavior regulations. Al-Olaya intermediate school for boys in Riyadh has witnessed a noticeable increase in attendance after school head Faisal Al-Salman said tough absenteeism regulations would be applied for students and teachers. He said teachers and students were informed of the regulations and his teachers explained why students should not be absent regularly. Tabuk schools have witnessed noticeable absenteeism especially in intermediate and elementary schools, even though all teachers were present. In Buraidah, some school heads prevented an Okaz/Saudi Gazette photographer from taking pictures of the empty classes and refused to comment on the high absenteeism at their schools. Some parents said teachers encouraged their sons to be absent from school before and after the school holidays because no action would be taken against them. The media head for the education department in the Qassim region Sultan Al-Muhawwas said they have not received any reports of student absenteeism and that the media does not have the right to enter schools or to take photographs except with permission from the Ministry of Education. He said he would verify the absenteeism percentage in local schools and issue a statement. Okaz/Saudi Gazette obtained a copy of a circular from the Asir Education Directorate that warned of mass absenteeism in local schools, both private and government-run. Juluwy Al-Karman, Director of Education in Asir, asked students in the circular to ensure they attend school regularly. He also called on school deputies to ensure they fill out absentee forms and send them to the relevant directorate office. In Jeddah, schools witnessed an average 70 percent absenteeism level during the last week of school. Parents said they preferred to give their sons an early holiday and also claimed teachers encouraged this. Spokesman for the Jeddah Education Directorate Abdulmajeed Al-Ghamdi confirmed schools were to continue until Wednesday and that student absenteeism would have a negative impact on their learning and their attitudes toward education. The directorate, he added, has instructed schools to implement educational programs and activities to encourage students to attend. The directorate has also begun implementing a guidance program with the goal of reducing absenteeism before the exams and holidays. The director of the Department of Guidance and Direction for Girls, Hayat Al-Motawi'e, said the project is being implemented in Jeddah through awareness and educational programs on the importance of school attendance. The Eastern Province Education Directorate has communicated with parents through text messages on the importance of school attendance. It said absent students needed to provide a letter from their parents on why they were absent. In Hail, absenteeism has increased as the school holidays approached and local schools were virtually empty of students. Teachers said such absence means even more delays in completing the schools' syllabuses. Saud Al-Shammary, a teacher, said absenteeism is triggered by school heads and parents and the only solution was to dedicate the week before the holidays to holding special exams. Spokesman for the Hail Educational Directorate Ibrahim Al-Jenaidy said the students should be continuously evaluated on their school attendance.
