Students greet one another on the first day of the new academic session in Jeddah on Sunday.

Jeddah’s schools achieved a cent percent attendance rate on the first day of school, said Abdullah Al-Thaqafi, Jeddah education director.

Perfect attendance was recorded at both girls and boys schools at the elementary, secondary and high school levels.

Al-Thaqafi told Arab News that students showed up serious and ready for work.

Al-Thaqafi urged students to double their efforts and make sure they attend classes daily, adding that the homeland expects a lot from ambitious students, who should be studious throughout the year.

He said the commitment he witnessed on the first day “is a model that should be repeated in other schools outside of Jeddah.”

He said that official school inspections would continue to ensure a sound educational atmosphere.

He praised the leadership’s support for the educational process, explaining that minor renovation and maintenance work in Jeddah’s schools would take a month or two, similar to what had been done during the summer vacation.

Medium-sized maintenance projects will take a few months, while bigger renovation works would take around a full year, meaning students won’t be allowed onto the premises to ensure their safety.

The public was made aware of these works, he said.

Zaid Al-Hamzi, Jeddah traffic spokesman, announced that the traffic strategy put in place on the first day of school had been successful.

The traffic police in Jeddah deployed some 300 vehicles to ensure smooth traffic flow. Al-Hamzi told Arab News that no traffic accidents were registered on the first day thanks to comprehensive traffic plan.

 
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