Inmates with ambition to continue their education started Saturday taking their final exams at their prisons across the Kingdom. “Around 2,887 inmates of which 1,116 in high school, 901 in intermediate school, and 690 in elementary school and 190 female inmates have already started their final exams across the Kingdom's prisons,” said Assistant Chief of Prisons Authority for Administrative Reform Brig. Gen. Haidar Al-Haidar. “A suitable exam environment has been set up for the inmates to take their exams just like the case with regular schools,” he added. In Jeddah prisons, registered inmates took their first exam in school-like environment inside the prisons under the close supervision of Jeddah Prison Chief Lt. Gen, Ahmad Al-Zahrani. “Our preparations for the final exams come on equal footing with regular schools,” he said. Abu Mahjin Al-Thaqafi Prison School was set with the aim of improving inmates' educational qualifications, thereby socially leveling them up. The school has already coordinated with King Abdul Aziz University (KAAU) in Jeddah to allow its high school graduates to continue their education through the external program, he said. “We have agreed that once admitted, the inmates will take their final exams inside the library instead with regular students inside the classrooms,” he said. But how did the first exam go? “It was easy. I had no problem answering all the questions,” said a 40-year-old inmate who has spent 6 years in prison after found guilty of theft. In Baha, 48 inmates took the first exam on Saturday; 49 in high school and 35 in intermediate school. “The final exams are administered and supervised by committees from the Ministry of Education,” said Chief of Prisons Authority in Baha Col. Faraj Al-Osaimi. – Okaz Abdulkhaliq Al-Ghamdi from Baha contributed to the story. __
