Students of all phases of education in Saudi Arabia returned to classes on Sunday during the holy month of Ramadan for the first time after a hiatus of 14 years. Teachers and administrators of schools and universities have completed all their preparations to receive boy and girl students in the holy month. The Ramadan classes come under the third semester of the academic year, which is based on the new academic calendar. 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 government and private universities, special education institutes and institutes following continuous education programs. 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. The preparations for Ramadan classes come in accordance with the rules of the flexible system for the academic days. The Ministry of Education has activated the principle of family partnership to contribute to the completion and success of the educational process for their children during Ramadan and in the current school year. The ministry approved, in coordination with the concerned government agencies across the Kingdom, the timing of the start of the school day between 9 am and 10 am during Ramadan. The education directors in the regions and governorates have been granted the authority to decide the actual timing of school beginning between 9 and 10 in the morning with each class period fixed at 35 minutes.