Education: Automatic promotion of teachers and job regulations requirements

The Ministry of Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced important updates regarding the mechanism for promoting those holding educational positions, stressing that the process is carried out automatically and automatically for those who meet the regulatory conditions and controls, without the need to submit prior applications or wait for manual nomination approvals, through the "Faris" electronic system.

Context of the transformation of educational roles

This measure comes as part of the strategic transformation underway in the Kingdom's education sector, which effectively began with the adoption of the new regulations for teaching positions. These regulations aim to shift from a promotion system based solely on seniority to one based on competence, professional development, and job performance. This transformation is an integral part of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 objectives, specifically the Human Capital Development Program, which seeks to raise the quality of education by motivating teachers to pursue continuous professional development and obtain professional licenses that reflect their competence.

Upgrade mechanism via the Fares system and the "My Decisions" service

The ministry clarified that promotions are carried out according to Article 10 of the Educational Jobs Regulations, whereby teachers move from their current rank to the next higher rank (without skipping ranks) and retain their same job number. Teachers can track their promotions through the following steps:

• Accessing the self-service portal in the Fares system .
• Review the "My Decisions" service to obtain a copy of the promotion decision.
• Receive text (SMS) notifications and in-system notifications indicating that a decision has been issued.

The ministry also stressed that promotions are not retroactive, based on Article (58) of the Executive Regulations for Human Resources, and that the announcement of promotion courses is made through official channels.

Terms and conditions for promotion between ranks

The ministry detailed the requirements for moving between ranks (from practicing teacher to advanced, and from advanced to expert), which require meeting the following criteria:

1. Academic qualification and years of experience: It is required to spend a specific period of time in the current rank, which varies according to the qualification (6 years for Bachelor’s degree holders, 5 years for Master’s degree holders, and 4 years for PhD holders).
2. Professional license: The professional license appropriate to the targeted rank must be valid.
3. Job performance evaluation: Obtaining a rating of at least "very good" in the last three years.
4. Professional Development: Achieving the minimum number of approved professional development points.

Criteria for preference and differentiation

In the event that candidates meet the same requirements, the ministry adopts precise selection criteria to ensure fairness, where priorities are ranked based on a total score that includes:

• Professional license test score (specialty and general).
• Average job performance appraisal.
• Seniority in appointment and year of graduation.
• Professional development hours.

Expected impact on the quality of education

This automated and transparent system is expected to foster a positive competitive environment within schools. Linking promotion to performance and professional licensing motivates teachers to improve their teaching practices, which directly impacts student learning outcomes. Furthermore, a clear career path enhances job stability and guarantees the rights of outstanding teachers, thus elevating the teacher's status as a cornerstone of the national education system.