Amal Al-Sibai

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has issued a royal order that all Syrian children residing on the Kingdom are to be accepted and enrolled in both private and government schools.



The Ministry of Education has designated a committee to follow up on the King’s instructions, ensure that the ruling is adhered to, and assist these students in finding seats in the Kingdom’s schools. Syrian children have been deprived of a proper education for the past 17 months as a result of the escalating violence and insecurity in their home country.



The highest concentration of Syrians fleeing into Saudi Arabia is witnessed in the northern regions which are closer to countries that share borders with Syria.



To accommodate the expected large numbers of Syrian students, the Ministry of Education has instructed all government schools to install temporary classrooms on the school grounds and to introduce an additional afternoon shift for the school days if necessary.