Manama: Parents in Saudi Arabia have welcomed a decision prohibiting schools from collecting money from students and staff regardless of reasons.

The education district in Makkah this week made the decision after it received complaints that schools were asking their students and personnel to contribute to the financing of graduation ceremonies, parties at the end of the academic year, decoration of classrooms and farewell gifts.

“No school is allowed to ask its students or its staff to contribute money under any pretext or reason,” the district said in a circular, local news site Sabq reported on Tuesday. “Such requests are a violation of the rules and regulations and those who do not abide by them will face the consequences of their action.”

Parents said that they welcomed the decision in the hope that it would alleviate the financial stress caused by the “incessant demands and requests from schools for money.”

“We have been suffering from girls’ schools,” one parent said. “They ask us for money to be used to decorating classrooms and purchasing gifts and sweets. Please put an end to such a situation because schools have been putting financial burdens on parents. At the same time, the ministry should not ask schools to hold graduation parties if it means asking parents to contribute to their financing,” he said.

Abu Al Ineb, in his online comments, said that he hoped for a strict application of the decision.

“I have a daughter in the ninth grade and this week, the school asked her to contribute SR200 for the graduation party. Her sister who is in the sixth grade was asked to donate SR200 as well for the same purpose. It is not fair at all and there is no way I believe the decision by the district unless it is strictly implemented,” he said.

Writing under the moniker of “A Teacher’s Relative”, a commenter said that teachers have been asked by the school principal in the capital Riyadh to contribute each SR500 “to decorate the classrooms.”

“Teachers often comply so that their relationship with the principal is not affected by their refusal to contribute financially,” the commenter said.