Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — Students found to be blackmailing their teachers by taking their pictures and putting them on the Internet will have their final marks reduced, sources in the Ministry of Education have said. These students will also be suspended from school for a month, face possible expulsion and the device used to take the pictures confiscated, Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper reported. The Ministry of Education has warned students against taking pictures of teachers using any electronic device or resorting to drawings harming them, blackmailing them with these pictures and publishing video clips on the Internet. The ministry said it considered this to be gross misconduct. Sources said the ministry has issued directives to the directors of education in all provinces and governorates to implement an awareness plan for principals and students. The campaign includes explaining the measures that will be taken for those who take pictures in school and the consequences of such actions, apart from intensifying inspections and increasing supervision of students. It will also be compulsory for students and parents and guardians to sign a written code of conduct governing students' behavior in the school. This agreement is renewed every year. Sources said this forms part of the amended rules for conduct and discipline for intermediate and secondary school students that the ministry announced recently. The new bylaw deducts six marks for misconduct. Meanwhile, the ministry has decided to hold an annual meeting of new students in all schools to educate them on sexual harassment, Al-Watan newspaper reported. The meeting seeks to encourage students to notify school authorities of any type of sexual harassment they may face. Such actions are considered a punishable felony, whether it was verbal or physical. The ministry also stressed the importance of parents' participation to protect the children from harassment and to monitor the immoral behavior of any student. The ministry said such behavior could lead to the offender being expelled from school.
