المملكة: The evening and “the three classes” behind the absence of students in Ramadan

Terboon confirmed that the absence of students during the month of Ramadan, especially with the approaching Eid Al -Fitr holiday, is a frequent phenomenon that negatively affects academic achievement.
They pointed out that the reasons for this phenomenon are due to the change of sleeping patterns and staying up late hours, which leads to exhaustion and weak motivation to attend, in addition to the students ’feeling that the last days of the semester are less important. Also, some families tolerate absence and the three -class system, which extends the school year for long periods, contribute to the exacerbation of the problem.
In their interview with Al -Youm, they explained that addressing this phenomenon requires flexible solutions, such as reducing the days of attendance to three days a week during the month of Ramadan, and taking advantage of e -learning, as well as motivating students with interesting activities and enhancing families’ awareness of the importance of school commitment, in a way that ensures the continuity of the educational process efficiently.

In this context, Dr. Abdulaziz Al Hassan, the educational expert, explained that “the changes that occur in the pattern of sleep during the month of Ramadan, especially the staying up to late hours of the night, negatively affect the focus and attention of students, which makes them feel tired and decreases their motivation to attend, especially in the last days that some believe is not of academic importance.”

Dr. Abdulaziz Al Hassan, educational expert

Al -Hassan added that “amending the academic schedule to be more flexible may contribute to reducing the problem of absence, by reducing the hours of working hours or the period of classes, which helps students to adapt to the atmosphere of the holy month. Daily.
Al Hassan pointed out that “the role of the family in promoting the culture of discipline is no less important than the role of the school, as parents should direct their children and emphasize the importance of attendance and continuing academic activities until the end of the school year.

Dr. Khaled Al -Dandani, a specialist in leadership and educational policies, stressed that the Ministry of Education is making great efforts in building a competitive educational system, but that the phenomenon of absence in Ramadan has become a remarkable challenge.

Dr. Khaled Al -Dandani, a specialist in leadership and educational policies

He explained that this phenomenon can be explained by two angles; The first is social and religious, as the change of lifestyle in Ramadan affects students ’commitment to attend, which requires raising societal awareness of the importance of study and work even during times of fasting.
As for the second angle, it relates to the educational system, where the three -class system may have a role in the high absence due to the long academic burden, which makes students and their families feel tired.
He pointed out that addressing the phenomenon requires in -depth field studies to determine the reasons and develop studied solutions, including the involvement of the local community and the enhancement of the role of the family, which ensures the continuity of education efficiently.
He also called for the implementation of flexible educational plans that accommodate the challenges of the holy month, in line with the Kingdom’s 2030 vision, which seeks to build an advanced educational community based on discipline and commitment as a basic value to achieve progress.

Professor Dr. Maliha Muhammad Al -Qahtani, from Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, believes that the low attendance rate in the last days of Ramadan constitutes a challenge to the progress of the educational process.

Professor Dr. Maliha Muhammad Al -Qahtani, from Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University

She explained that the reason is due to the fatigue caused by the change of sleeping patterns and fasting, which makes waking up early to attend school difficult. Also, the approach of the leave weakens students’ motivation, especially in the absence of stimulating tests or activities, as well as some families in the matter of absence.
She pointed out that the solution lies in adopting a more flexible educational system during Ramadan, which includes reschedule lessons and reducing academic pressure, while activating interactive educational activities that motivate students to attend.
She also stressed the importance of enhancing societal awareness among parents and students of the importance of school commitment, to ensure that the quality of education is not affected during the holy month.
She emphasized that the success of any plan to address this phenomenon depends on the integration of efforts between schools and families, in a manner that ensures the achievement of an attractive and sustainable educational environment that is in line with the aspirations of modern education.

Dr. Maha bint Abdullah Al -Sharif, a professor in the Department of Educational Administration and Planning, stressed that the active administration is the primary guarantor of the success of educational institutions, stressing the need to formulate educational policies based on studied scientific foundations to confront the problem of collective absence.

Dr. Maha Sharif

She explained that this phenomenon led to an educational loss and waste in resources, which requires the treatment of radical causes, such as the impact of social media that facilitate coordination between students for absence, the weak culture of school discipline, and the absence of strict penalties.
She pointed out that the solutions of this problem may include expanding the powers of education departments to determine appropriate mechanisms for study in Ramadan, such as reducing attendance days to three days per week, turning the study to the evening period, or adopting education from a distance through the “school” platform.
I also suggested the application of a strict presence system that punishes students who exceed certain absence rates by depriving them of tests, similar to universities.
She stressed that the best solution lies in enhancing cooperation between families and schools, and consolidating the concept of commitment to students, which guarantees a stable educational environment that supports the future of future generations.