• The Public Education Sector instructed schools to strictly enforce regulations, regardless of absenteeism rates, while the Ministry of Education plans to study the issue and explore solutions.
Despite the Ministry of Education’s emphasis on adhering to school hours and avoiding absences before or after holidays, a significant number of students remained absent on Wednesday, even after the official Eid holiday had ended, according to Al Jarida newspaper.
This comes despite teachers and school administrations following the attendance schedule. The issue of linking the holiday to the weekend was raised, which, if unofficial absences before Eid are excluded, would extend the break to a total of eight days.
In this context, educational sources revealed to the newspaper that student attendance on Wednesday did not exceed, at best, ten percent, as most schools reported absenteeism rates of 90 to 95 percent. The sources explained that schools adhered to recording absences in the student record system and enforcing regulations. However, this did not deter students due to the widespread nature of absenteeism and the lack of awareness among some families regarding its negative impact on academic achievement.
The sources added that the Public Education Sector issued instructions to all school administrations emphasizing the importance of strictly enforcing regulations, even in cases of high absenteeism. They noted that the ministry will study this phenomenon and explore appropriate solutions in the future.
