Sulami & Mohammed Al-Zahrani JEDDAH/TAIF — A number of private schools responded favorably to the education minister's directive that primary school teachers be given a two-week off before the winter vacation while the vast majority of them challenged the decision and said they will go to court to protect their rights. In a statement earlier in the week, Education Minister Ahmed Al-Eissa made it clear that all measures taken by the Education Ministry are applicable to both public and private schools, including the vacation orders. He urged all private schools to follow the directive. Owners of private schools had challenged the newly appointed minister by denying the right of private primary school teachers to start enjoying the vacation with their counterparts in public schools. The winter vacation started for primary schools all over the Kingdom last weekend. But many teachers of private schools had to report to work despite the minister's directive, fearing punitive action by school authorities for unauthorized absence. Though some teachers opted to enjoy the vacation at any cost, banking on the minister's directive while most of them returned to work on Sunday. However, most of the teachers had no work to do as their students were vacationing. "Many teachers had to face the reality as they had to go to schools fearing backlash from the management," said one teacher, who requested anonymity. "Many of them had nothing to do as the administration did not assign them any work," he said. Some teachers used their presence in the school to discuss their worries. Their schools do not have intermediate and secondary sections where they could be assigned to supervise exams or correct exam papers. "I was shocked when our school manager categorically stated that primary class teachers cannot enjoy the vacation with students and that they have to come for duty every day and leave only after the end of the working hours," said a female teacher, who requested anonymity. "We have done the exam for our students and it's our right to have vacation like government school teachers," she pointed out. "It's very difficult to teach at primary classes but the private school management does not appreciate it and we don't see anybody to protect us from the school managers," she said. Her colleague also expressed her anguish against the management's decision. "They have told us to come for duty every day without fail and we don't know whether they wanted to challenge the minister or impose their authority on us," she stated. She said private school teachers should be given equal treatment like their counterparts in public schools. "Some teachers have challenged the management and went on vacation with their children," she pointed out. Salim Al-Harbi and Khaled Al-Zahrani said they were working following the instructions of the school management. "We have been assigned to supervise exams at intermediate and secondary school levels in another school under the same management," Al-Harbi said. The two did not make any comment on their right to have vacation after the exams. Some schools allowed their teachers to go on vacation from Monday following the minister's clarification. Speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette, the teachers expressed their happiness over the school management's belated decision to grant them vacation like their counterparts in government schools. "Better late than never," one teacher commented. "Our management has told us to enjoy the vacation and that the days would not be deducted from their salaries," he said. However, private schools that did not allow the vacation to their teachers were preparing for a standoff with the ministry. They warned that they would take legal action against the ministry by filing a lawsuit at the administrative court if they were forced to grant leave to primary teachers in tandem with government schools. The managements insisted that the ministry should pay the teachers their rights if they follow its directive in violation of school regulations. "We follow a bylaw that determines our relationship with the teachers. It regulates matters related to vacation and financial issues," a management representative said, adding that the bylaw has been backed by the Labor Law. Abeer Ghazawi, owner of a private school, said: "We will not keep quiet on such decisions by the Education Ministry that harm our schools. Private schools support the ministry's mission and do not oppose it, but we will protect our interests through legal channels." Ghazawi stressed that many school owners have decided to stand against the minister's decision. "We have been successful in defeating the ministry's decisions in the past," she said, referring to the cancellation of penal action against some private schools. Dr. Zuhair Ghanem, a member of the private education committees at the chambers of Jeddah and Makkah, urged the ministry not to exceed its supervisory role. "We are following the rules and regulations. Our relationship with the teachers is based on a contract," Ghanem said, adding that their relationship is determined by the Labor Law, and not by the Education Ministry and Civil Service Ministry. He said the management would cut salaries of teachers who disappear without permission, on the basis of contract terms. "We will also terminate their service if their absence crosses the limit," the official said. He said all teachers were present on Sunday and no cases of absence have been reported.
