RIYADH — The Ministry of Education said that male and female students at all levels of public education started on Sunday a new phase in their educational journey by pursuing their learning process based on the new academic calendar. According to the new calendar, the 39-week long academic year is divided into three semesters, with 13 weeks for each semester. The new system aims to raise the level of educational efficiency in accordance with the best international standards, the ministry has said. Students of all levels of public education returned to in-person classes in all regions of the Kingdom on Sunday. These included government, private, foreign and community schools as well as special education institutes and institutes following continuous education programs. All the activities that were suspended during the pandemic period have been restored. These included morning assembly, sports and other co-curricular activities without any physical distancing among the students. School canteens have been reopened. However, some of the precautionary measures and preventive protocols are in place, including periodic sterilization of school facilities and buses, and completing immunization for the educational and administrative staff and students who are above the age of 12 years. The directorates of education in various regions of the Kingdom have announced the completion of all preparations for the start of the third semester of the academic year. All the requirements of the educational process at schools have been completed, in addition to enhancing the roles of supervisors and teachers, apart from applying health procedures prescribed by the Ministry of Health and Public Health Authority. The health authorities have made available a handbook of guidelines to be observed while resuming in-person classes during the third semester. The ministry pointed out that the three-semester system achieves a number of advantages and a positive impact that contributes to raising the efficiency of education in its total system, which includes students, parents, and teachers, as it contributes to improving students’ educational performance, maintaining their knowledge accumulation, as well as supporting their skills, and engaging in a lot of extracurricular activities. The ministry noted that the three semesters would enable parents to determine their children’s educational levels after reviewing their evaluation during these semesters, and to allow sufficient time for their participation in national, social and cultural activities and events, as well as to raise the level of interaction and integration of roles between school and family. The ministry explained that the new system would allow male and female teachers to give an evaluation of the performance of male and female students in each semester, as well as providing an opportunity to address the problems they face. It also enhances the activity of male and female teachers, as well as male and female students at the same time while the vacations that permeate between each semester provide recreation and rest so as to regain energy and enthusiasm among the students.