The majority of Saudi workingwomen are in the education sector. They work as teachers and administrators at both public and private schools. The lack of daycare at schools has forced them either to forgo paid work or recruit nannies to take care of their small children. Moreover, recent reports of child abuse involving housemaids have increased the worries of Saudi working mothers, especially teachers. The Education Ministry decided to establish daycare centers at public schools about one and a half years ago for the children of women teachers and other female staff members. However, the decision still remains on paper to the utter disappointment of women employees. The ministry took the decision to enhance mental and social stability of female teachers and staff members and help them perform their duties efficiently without any worries about children. Many female teachers suffer a lot due to absence of such daycare centers. "These teachers are forced to keep their children with maids or neighbors when they go to work. This situation will naturally increase their worries about children," said one teacher, who requested anonymity. Female teachers and administrators wondered why the ministry was still reluctant to establish daycare centers in schools. Former Education Minister Azzam Al-Dakhil gave the go-ahead in March 2015 to open nurseries at kindergartens and girls schools. "The opening of nurseries will help teachers save a lot of money," said the teacher, adding that they have to shell out at least SR1,500 in monthly salaries for maids, in addition to the recruitment free of SR30,000 to SR40,000. The female teachers urged the ministry to implement the decision quickly. "The move will encourage more Saudi women to take up jobs. It will also help them get rid of maids," said Um Ziyad, an administrator at the Education Department in Hafr Al-Batin. Um Ziyad, mother of a two-year-old girl, said she was leaving her daughter with neighbors before going to office every morning because she was unable to appoint a maid as recruitment agents were demanding exorbitant amounts to exploit her situation. They have also created a black market for maids, she added. "We expect from Education Minister Ahmed Al-Issa a quick decision on the matter to bring peace of mind to female teachers and employees," she told Al-Watan newspaper. Noura Al-Alawi, a teacher in Qassim, emphasized the need to open nurseries as a result of growing crimes committed by maids against Saudi children. "Most female teachers leave their children with maids with fear. I have a three-year-old daughter and I keep her under the care of the maid. I used to call the maid every now and then to get reassured about my little daughter," she explained. Al-Alawi said she recruited the maid three years ago spending SR25,000. "The establishment of nurseries at schools will reduce financial burden as well as mental worries of female teachers and help them perform well in their classrooms. Mental worries affect productivity," she pointed out. Um Al-Jowhar, mother of a two-and-half-year-old child, works at a school located 150 km away from her house. "I am worried about my child because I leave her with the maid. I used to ask my husband to keep a watch on our daughter," she added. "If there was a nursery at our school I could have taken my daughter with me and I need not ask my husband to visit her at home during his office hours," she said. Jowza Mazeed, an administrator, is the mother of a child aged less than a year. She does not have a maid servant to look after her little one. She urged the ministry to establish nurseries at public schools to take care of women employees' children. "Female teachers and other staff members having small children are ready to pay nominal fees for running such nurseries," she added. Psychologist Mishaal Al-Qurashi backed the demand of women teachers as he understood their sentiments. The growing cases of violence against Saudi children involving maids have increased the worries of female teachers about their sons and daughters," he added. "Most female teachers and other workers are forced to leave their children with maids while going to work. Sometimes, the maid would be new and would not have the necessary talent to deal with young children. This situation will definitely affect the concentration of female employees and they will not be able to perform well," Al-Qurashi told Al-Watan. Al-Qurashi is of the opinion that the presence of daycare at schools would enhance mental condition of female teachers and reflect positively on their performance because they would feel reassured about their children and they would be able to look after them even during working hours. However, he did not agree with the wrong notion that the presence of children with maids for long periods would encourage the latter to commit crimes. "This could be one of the reasons. So, we should be very selective while recruiting maids. They should be qualified to take care of children. Moreover, we have to treat them nicely and pay their salaries and dues on time," Al-Qurashi said. He stressed the need to install security cameras to monitor the activities of maids inside homes.
