RIYADH — The Ministry of Education has confirmed on Tuesday that male and female teachers who have not been able to return to the Kingdom due to personal circumstances can continue teaching remotely during the first semester of the current academic year. This will be applicable to teachers of private, international and foreign schools as well as schools that pursue other educational programs and international tracks. These teachers can provide educational lessons and carry out school activities remotely via electronic platforms of either the Ministry of Education or their own platforms. This will be within the respective school's supervision and follow-up on the performance of male and female teachers in the classroom. The Department of Private and Foreign Education must evaluate the situation of schools and submit periodic reports in this regard to the Agency for the Private General Education under the Ministry of Education. The ministry's decision shows its keenness on the smooth running of the educational process in private, international and foreign schools and improving their operations from the beginning of the new academic year. This is also in support of these educational institutions to overcome the fallouts of the coronavirus pandemic and taking into account of the inability of these teachers, who had concluded contracts with these schools, to return from their countries on time. It is noteworthy that a large number of teachers are from the countries that are facing travel ban and these countries include India, Pakistan, Indonesia and Egypt. According to the current travel restrictions, all nationals of these countries except diplomats and health workers and their families, have to undergo 14-day quarantine in a third country before entering the Kingdom unless they administered two doses of vaccine against coronavirus in the Kingdom before their departure on exit and reentry visa.
