Semester system introduced in Saudi Arabia as schools for foreign communities exempted

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has announced to introduce the semester system in its education institutes, dividing the academic year into three parts as private schools belonging to foreign communities will be exempted from it.      

According to details shared by the local media, the Council of Ministers recently approved dividing the academic year into three semesters for all stages of general education.

The organizing principles for the academic year permit universities and the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) colleges and institutes to implement the 3-semester system and open a program for studies during the summer.

The private foreign schools for communities are, however, exempted from the fresh rules and principles and they would continue implementing the academic calendar they have been following earlier.

The report while elaborating the decision said that the rules have specified the period for each semester between 12 to 13 weeks, provided the vacation between semesters is for one or two weeks.

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The rules further allow the first semester to be preceded by a preparatory period not exceeding three weeks in the general education schools and for registration in the universities, provided this does not affect the minimum vacation for the teaching staff, in line with the regulations.

The number of days of actual study in the new 3-semester academic year is 183 days when in the past years they did not exceed 155 days.