Manama: A Saudi Education Ministry official has denied a ban on musical activities in schools.
“There are no instructions to ban music, national songs, operettas or folklore activities in schools,” Hamad Al Shaikh, the deputy minister of education, said. “All of them [activities] are highly significant in instilling positive values and culture in students and in promoting the sense of citizenship,” he said in remarks published by local Arabic daily Al Sharq on Sunday.
The clarification comes in the wake of complaints by several teachers about the difficulties they faced in organising musical activities at their schools.
Conservative parents in Saudi Arabia have often opposed music lessons in schools on religious grounds. However, the Education Ministry was “keen on activities in all schools in the kingdom”, Al Shaikh said. “The problem is that some schools are small and cannot organise large activities. We do have plans for school cultural activities,” he said as he opened the 10th school drama festival in Riyadh.
