Jeddah: Authorities are tightening the noose around expat-run foreign schools operating under the auspices of diplomatic missions as these schools are treated differently from private schools.
The Ministry of Education is trying to have greater control over these schools by amending the law governing them, which will reduce the role of foreign embassies.
The Shoura Council had passed a new draft law some 8 months ago to limit the role of missions in establishing foreign community schools. The draft law with resolution number 63/28 was passed on May 26, 2013 according to information released by the Shoura Council.
The proposed law will change the governance and establishment of such schools. The Shoura said earlier that foreign community schools under the umbrellas of embassies be discouraged and the establishment of new schools be halted.
In this context, a proposal was made to the Shoura Council to amend article 9 of the governance rules of foreign community schools, enacted in 1997.
In its much-debated session on Tuesday, sources said, the Shoura Council rejected the amendment or modification of the existing law saying it had already proposed a draft law on private schools last year, which included foreign community schools.
The body also refused to allow embassies to purchase land or buildings to establish community-run schools saying they were subject to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Two major expat community schools are currently facing an acute shortage of buildings to accommodate the growing students’ population but they are unable to initiate the process for purchasing land, said sources.
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