Education Ministry: No retakes for exams for students absent during Ramadan without a valid excuse

A decisive decision from the Ministry of Education to promote school discipline during Ramadan

The Saudi Ministry of Education has announced its firm decision not to allow students who miss their second-semester exams during the holy month of Ramadan without a valid and acceptable excuse to retake them. This strict measure is part of the Ministry's efforts to regulate the educational process, promote discipline and commitment among students, and address the recurring issue of absenteeism in some schools during this blessed month.

Background and historical context of the decision

Historically, the month of Ramadan has posed a challenge to the educational process in many Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia. With the change in daily routines, including late nights for religious observances and participation in social activities, some students tend to be absent from school or less focused. The Ministry of Education has long sought to balance the special nature of the holy month with the demands of academic achievement by adjusting school hours and implementing flexible learning plans. However, the phenomenon of unjustified absences continues to hinder the full utilization of school days, necessitating more decisive measures to ensure the continuity of academic achievement at the same quality throughout the year.

The importance of the decision and its expected impact

This decision primarily aims to instill a sense of responsibility in students and their parents, and to emphasize that academic commitments, including assessment tests, are an integral and non-negotiable part of a student's educational journey. This measure is expected to contribute to achieving several objectives:

• Increased attendance rates: The decision would significantly reduce cases of unjustified absence, ensuring that students attend exams and benefit from the pre-exam reviews.
• Achieving fairness: The decision ensures the principle of equal opportunities for all students, as everyone is evaluated based on their performance under the same conditions and specified times.
• Enhancing educational seriousness: The decision sends a clear message that the ministry and schools take every day of the school year, including the month of Ramadan, very seriously, and work to invest every minute in the student’s best interest.

Integrated procedures to ensure an effective school day

The decision to prohibit re-examinations was not made in isolation, but rather as part of a comprehensive set of directives circulated by the Ministry to education departments and schools. These directives included emphasizing strict adherence to the start and end times of the school day, and prohibiting students from leaving before the end of the official school day except in emergencies and with the approval of the school administration, which bears full responsibility. The Ministry also instructed teachers to utilize the entire class time by implementing "active learning" strategies that are appropriate to students' physiological needs during fasting, helping to break the monotony and stimulate classroom interaction. Furthermore, the Ministry stressed the importance of activating immediate communication channels with parents to keep them informed about their children's discipline and academic performance on an ongoing basis.