RIYADH — As the new academic year commences, Saudi Arabia’s judicial authorities have unveiled stringent regulations aimed at curbing chronic student absenteeism. The new law mandates severe penalties, including the potential imprisonment of a student’s guardian, should the student be absent for 20 days without a valid excuse.

These rigorous measures, adopted by the concerned Saudi authorities, are designed to ensure the integrity of the educational process and safeguard the rights of children. According to the Saudi news channel “Al-Ikhbariya,” a guardian will be referred to the public prosecutor under the child protection law if neglect in ensuring the child’s school attendance is proven. The judge then has the discretion to issue a punitive sentence.

The decision stipulates that if a student is absent for three days without a valid reason, a first warning is issued, and the matter is referred to the student counselor. If the absence extends to five days, a second warning is dispatched to the guardian. Should the absenteeism reach 10 days, a third warning is issued, and the guardian is required to sign a pledge. If a student’s absence surpasses 15 days, they are transferred to another school. Once the 20-day mark is reached, the child protection law is invoked.

The judicial body relies on Article 23 of the Child Protection Law, which was amended by Royal Decree No. M/2 dated 6/8/1443. This article states that, without prejudice to other related regulations, the competent court will look into violations of this law and decide on appropriate penalties for the violato