KHOBAR/DAMMAM: In the days before the beginning of final examinations, the rate of absenteeism in girls' intermediate and secondary schools in the Eastern Province has reached 40 percent, according to sources. The length of the half-term session compared to the size of the syllabus prompted many girls to stay at home, sources said. Parents, though, said high temperatures and poor air-conditioning system in schools led many students to stay home, especially because most schools have finished teaching the syllabi. One female teacher said students are relatively indifferent. “Students no longer fear or respect exams as they used to before,” she said. She said students rely on attainment and aptitude tests, and that many of them have been absent because focusing on those tests divides their attention. Asked by Okaz/Saudi Gazette about the reasons for the high rate of absenteeism, Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Mudairis, Director of Education in the Eastern Province, said officials are working to learn more about the matter. “We are studying the situation and we have asked for reports on the reasons for absenteeism,” he said. Attendance at Eastern Province schools Saturday was described as good among male students. Meanwhile, some schools have taken stern measures against students who have remained absent since the beginning of this week.
