Hail Education Department delays the start of the school day to 9 am due to the cold

The General Directorate of Education in the Hail region issued an official decision to delay the start of the school day in all schools across the region, in response to the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Saad bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Hail region. This decision was made to ensure the safety of students and school staff, given the current weather conditions and low temperatures in the region.

Details of the decision to delay school start time

The Hail Education Department announced that the new start time for the first period will be 9:00 AM, beginning Sunday, July 15, 1447 AH (corresponding to July 15, 2026), and will remain in effect for five days until the end of the school day on Thursday, July 19, 1447 AH (corresponding to July 19, 2026). The decision also included setting the start time for exams during the same period at 10:00 AM, to ensure students can take their exams in a warmer and more comfortable environment.

Context of the decision and the nature of Hail's climate

The Hail region, located in north-central Saudi Arabia, has a continental climate characterized by extreme cold during winter. Temperatures drop significantly in the early morning hours, sometimes reaching near or below freezing. These measures are part of the policies implemented in the northern regions of the Kingdom to deal with severe cold spells (such as the winter solstice and the cold spell of Al-Shabṭ), where the Ministry of Education grants regional education directors flexible authority to suspend or delay classes based on reports from the National Center for Meteorology.

The importance of the decision and its educational and health implications

This decision has important educational and health dimensions, as it primarily aims to:

• Maintaining public health: Protecting students, especially young ones, from seasonal cold-related illnesses such as influenza, colds, and respiratory diseases that are active when going out in the very cold early morning.
• Academic achievement: Educational studies have proven that providing a comfortable and warm environment for students contributes to increased concentration and comprehension, as extreme cold negatively affects the student's mental and physical abilities.
• Road safety: Delaying school hours helps avoid the morning rush hour, during which fog or frost may form on the roads, thus enhancing the safety of school transport and ensuring the safe arrival of teachers and students.

The administration confirmed that this measure includes all public, private and international schools in the region, stressing to parents and students the need to adhere to the new dates to ensure the smooth and easy progress of the educational process.