JEDDAH: The Ministry of Education has allocated SR43 million for 700 extracurricular programs at student summer clubs to promote moderation and combat extremism. There are also programs to keep students busy with useful hobbies and trades, said Dr. Abdul Rahman Bin Muhammad Al-Barak, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Education. He said the summer club programs complement the ministry's education role by developing skills and ensuring young people use their leisure time for useful hobbies, Asharq Al-Awsat Arabic daily reported Friday. Al-Barak said the programs are meant to protect students from delinquency and reckless behavior during their long summer vacation. The programs focuses on the principles of crime prevention and have been organized to ensure students use their free time in religious, cultural and sports activities, which are useful for them and their community, he said. He said the large number of participants indicates that parents are keen to see their children involved in activities that protect them from deviants who can confuse their minds with opinions which have nothing to do with Islam. The official said the clubs operate for four to six weeks and started receiving students from June 24. There are 490 clubs throughout the region's districts, set up according to population density. He said the ministry attaches great importance to the safety of these social gatherings and has set up committees headed by the directors of the educational zones. He said 20 officials have been assigned to the students' summer and Ramadan trips to Makkah and Madina. There are also teachers who hold Holy Qur'an memorization classes at 24 schools opened specifically for this purpose.
