MAJMAAH — The Ministry of Education closed down 17 international schools and issued violations for 23 more during the last academic year. The ministry's international schools supervisory committee presented the current status and future plans of international schools in the Kingdom to Minister of Education Prince Khaled Al-Faisal. According to the committee, new regulations will be set and academic supervisors will be assigned to regulate international schools in the Kingdom even though they are owned by Saudi investors. All international schools are required to teach Islamic subjects, Arabic language, sociology and Saudi history and culture. They must also segregate girls and boys. The committee is in charge of regulating the admission of non-Saudis into national schools and Saudis into international schools, regulate the licensing of schools and grades and penalize those operating on expired or preliminary licenses. It will regulate student capacity control and allow international schools to open more than one branch in the Kingdom but only one in each province. The ministry has assigned educational supervisors to evaluate teachers and to ensure international schools adhere to the Ministry of Education's charters.
