RIYADH — Saudi secondary school graduates, who are holders of a teaching diploma, will be allowed to work as school assistant teachers. The Saudi Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) took a remarkable initiative in this regard.

Accordingly, the MHRSD recently released the amended Educational Jobs Regulation, which opens new horizons for employment for secondary school graduates, especially in light of the challenges facing the labor market, including high unemployment rates among different educational groups.

This step not only reflects a strategic vision towards enhancing the role of youth in the labor market, but also contributes to improving the quality of education and developing it, by creating a stimulating educational environment based on the competence of teachers and their support. The trend towards investing in human resources in the education sector also reflects a deep understanding of the needs of the market and the competencies it requires, which enhances opportunities to develop the skills necessary to keep pace with the continuous changes in the work environment.

The amended Educational Jobs Regulation specified the conditions for appointing new graduates to jobs subject to the regulation at the rank of practicing teacher or assistant teacher. The regulation stipulated that the person appointed in the rank of practicing teacher must meet the professional standards and conditions required to practice the teaching profession, including a university degree in the field of specialization, and the required qualification through regular attendance of the course.

An exception may be made to this in some specializations when regular graduates are not available in accordance with the conditions and controls agreed upon between the ministry of education and MHRSD. The conditions also include that the teacher’s services have not been previously terminated for disciplinary reasons or removed from teaching for one of the reasons for removal mentioned in article 14 of the regulation, except for medical cases after their recovery has been proven by a medical report issued by the competent medical authority.

According to the regulations, anyone appointed in the rank of assistant teacher must have a secondary school certificate or its equivalent and a diploma of no less than one academic year in one of the specializations appropriate to the field of work at this rank. When necessary, a person holding a university degree in the field of laboratory technicians or other specializations appropriate to work in some educational positions may be appointed to this rank in schools in accordance with the regulations agreed upon between the two ministries, provided that the qualifications and specializations appropriate to the field of education are determined by an agreement concluded between the two ministries.

Ali Abdullah Al-Eid, a consultant and specialist in human resources management and organizational development, said that the Ministry of Education's decision to create job opportunities for secondary school graduates is a very important step in the Saudi labor market. “This is significant in view of the fact that the second highest unemployment rate in educational levels is among this section of the Saudi society,” he said while quoting the labor market statistics for the second quarter of 2024.

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