Saudi- MoE keen to accept new students in primary schools

(MENAFN- Arab News) The Ministry of Education has directed all the schools to inform the parents wishing to enroll their children in the first grade of the acceptance/rejection of their applications within 10 days from the date of applying.

The schools were advised not to leave requests for registration on the online Noor program for over 10 days.

The ministry said it is committed to accepting students enrolled in the program and to find seats for them in schools. The school principals it said are responsible for the acceptance procedures and will be held accountable for failing to comply.

Principals have been told not to put waiting lists to accept new students for the first grade and to automatically accept these students if vacant seats are available and the students satisfy the admission conditions.

This comes at a time when the ministry has embarked on the second phase of student enrollment via its Noor program.

Souad Al-Ibrahim the director of registration and admission said: 'This stage is targeting public education schools for Saudis as well as for children of Saudi mothers and non-Saudi fathers. Students should have completed six years at the primary schools until the age of 11 and three months as well as students who are under the age of six by 90 days.'

She said: 'The education departments have to identify whether public schools are crowded or have vacant seats while parents have to enroll their children before the specified deadlines in the Noor program.'

About the admission of students in public education schools she said admission is based on several factors. If schools are overcrowded the acceptance will be conditional and an electronic message will be sent to the guardian's account with a request to fill a data sheet proving the child's eligibility to be accepted such as proof of residence to determine proximity to the school.

Guardians who are able to upload the required paperwork on the system must bring it directly to the school within the same specified period. The school will study the documents and decide as soon as possible on the acceptance or rejection of admission according to priorities in order to prevent the accumulation of pending applications and to give the guardians a chance to apply to other schools.

She said in the event of acceptance the guardian will be notified by a letter about the acceptance and the need to complete a medical examination of the child which should be delivered to the school or uploaded on the system. In the case of rejection an SMS message will be sent to the guardian with information about applying to another school via the Noor program.