The Ministry of Education has stopped private schools from increasing tuition fees in the new academic year, sources told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. The ministry intervened because it was not convinced of the justifications made by private schools, some of which raised the tuition fees by 45 percent, said the sources. The schools claimed that they had to raise tuition fees because of the ministry's pressure on them to increase the salaries of teachers. But the ministry refuted these allegations. The Ministry of Education also issued directives to owners of private schools not to revoke the contracts of teachers during the academic year. In case they insist on revoking the contracts, the schools must form a committee from the Supervising Administration represented by the Private and Foreign Education Department at the regions' educational zones. The ministry also stressed that dismissal letters should be seen by the Director of Education to which the schools are affiliated. The ministry's directives also stipulate that teachers who resign from their schools can only be employed after the passage of two years from the date of their resignation.
