TAIF — The Ministry of Education has finally agreed to comply with a ruling issued about six years ago by the Court of Grievances giving private schools the right not to issue certificates, files or other documents to students who fail to pay their fees. The ministry's recognition of this right was contained in a recent circular sent by Minister of Education Prince Khaled Al-Faisal to the departments of education for boys and girls all over the Kingdom. The ministry had previously refused to recognize the court ruling and asked private schools not to keep the certificates and files of students who were unable to settle their financial arrears. The circular, however, asked private schools to transfer the data of students unable to pay the tuition fee electronically on the ministry's online Noor system so that they may continue their education in other schools. It said that private schools can, meanwhile, keep the certificates and files until the concerned students have settled their arrears. Ministry sources said keeping certificates would preserve the financial rights of the schools. They said the students will be electronically transferred to other schools until they have finished their general education. “The students will, however, not be given their certificates after their graduation from secondary schools until they have paid their delayed fees,” the circular said. The schools took the issue to the Court of Grievances when the ministry warned them against keeping the certificates of students who could not pay the fees. The court ruled in their favor but the ministry refused to implement the verdict until recently. According to the sources, the ministry had asked the schools not to tie the non-payment of fees to the issuance of the students' certificates. It advised the schools to look for other methods to collect their dues.
