Teachers are in limbo on the exact date of school reopening this calendar year and found no help from educational websites. Some websites suggest that teachers must go to their classrooms on Sept. 25, but others say that teachers could return to school a week earlier on Sept. 18 ahead of the students. However, the official academic calendar for the year 1431-1432H posted on the official site of the Ministry of Education does not mention any date. There was neither even an official statement nor any memo to resolve the discrepancies posted on the other websites. Saeed Al-Thebyani a physics teacher in Jeddah, said he kept on verifying the exact date on when they would go to their classrooms. “Is the return date on Saturday, Sept. 19, or next Saturday, Sept. 26,” he asked. Ahmad Al-Ghamdi, an English teacher who was supposed to spend his Eid vacation until Sept. 24, said he had to cut short his vacation when he heard the confusing news about the resumption of classes. “I had asked the school principal before our vacation started about the return date and he told me it will be on Sept. 16,” he said. “However, a friend of mine who is a supervisor at the MOE, told me that I should come back one week in advance ahead of the students,” Al- Ghamdi added. Fahd A-Maliki, an Arabic teacher who has booked for a one-week trip to Egypt starting from next week, said he may cancel his trip because of the confusion. “I hope that I can get my refund. I have already paid for this trip with my family. We couldn't plan for any travel during Ramadan and I think that was my only chance and unfortunately I have to cancel it,” Maliki rued. Many teachers expressed their exasperation over this inconsistency in information about the date of the teachers' return. Saudi Gazette tried to get in touch with an authorized spokesman from the MOE, but the government organizations are off for Eid vacation. Saleh Al-Zahrani an elementary school principal, said that he doesn't know the exact return date as he hasn't received any official memo form the Directorate in Jeddah. “I have sent text messages to my teachers telling them that next Saturday (Sept. 18) will be the starting date,” he said. “I did it as a precautionary measure in case I will receive any official news about the next Saturday as the official date for the teachers' return” the principal said.
