RIYADH – Every time a new school semester begins, the Ministry of Education warns that it will impose strict penalties on teachers who do not show up for work on the first school day. However, the teachers continue to be absent from work despite the stern warnings by the ministry and the strict procedures the Control and Investigation Board follows to tackle absenteeism. Apparently, this is a recurring problem because the regulations adopted by the Ministry of Civil Service allow cases the pertinent education administration brings against absent teachers to drag on. General problem Some students also tend not to show up on the first day of school, which is supposed to be an exciting day for all students, not a boring one. Some who do attend school in the beginning of a semester look lazy and uninterested. The ministry should conduct a study on why some students do not like to come to school on the first day. Penalties should not be imposed at this stage. What is important is to focus on this practice and understand the reasons that make those students prefer to be absent. What do parents think about absenteeism? Most parents blame the system of education for their sons' and daughters' absenteeism. A mother told Al-Sharq daily that her son, who goes to an intermediate school, says most teachers do not usually come to classes on the first day. Not knowing how to deal with her son, she just lets him skip classes that day. Another mother said she always has difficulty making her high school son go to school at the beginning of the semester. He always convinces her that he should not go to the school on the first day because neither students nor teachers seem to be interested in learning or teaching on that day. Should parents be blamed? A student counselor at King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology said parents should be stricter with their sons and daughters when it comes to school attendance. Fahad Al-Mejali said most parents have failed in instilling in their children's minds the importance of school. “How can students learn the importance of discipline if their parents and schools don't punish them for absenteeism?” Al-Mejali said. He suggested the ministry follow the lead of some European countries that impose fines on parents whose children play truant. Such step will make parents keener on making sure that their children are present on the first day of school. Ministry of Education's penalties The ministry has recently issued new regulations to reduce absenteeism among teachers and students. For example, if a teacher absents himself from school for three consecutive days without excuse, he will not be given any privileges or priority when he files an application to be moved to another school or get leave to travel abroad and complete his studies. Many such privileges will be taken away from him. If a teacher does not show up for work for five days without excuse, the relevant education administration will call him for an investigation and sets a proper penalty. If the absence exceeds eight days, a certain amount will be deducted from his salary. The higher the number of days, the stricter the penalty is. The maximum penalty is dismissal.
