Job Discussion Forums

nickwils · Joined: 29 May 2014 Posts: 41

Can anyone confirm the term dates and teacher vacation dates for the upcoming academic year.

SirAristede · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 7:13 pm Post subject:

I don't work for KSU, but aren't many Muslim holidays based on lunar predictions/the position of the moon? In that sense, the exact dates of holidays and observance periods (such as Ramadan) can only be estimated and won't be ascertained until the time approaches and the moon's position is read. I've had friends who taught abroad in the GCC see their travels plans change depending on when holidays are finally determined.

MuscatGary · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 7:16 pm Post subject:

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Government universities and community colleges all use the same calendar with holidays stipulated by Ministry of Higher Education. Religious holidays may depend on sighting of the moon, but vacation dates are generally known well in advance. Not the case for military jobs where these things are at the wim of some deranged WingCo !

Check at
www.kfupm.edu.sa
or
www.dcc.edu.sa

lcanupp1964 · Joined: 12 Dec 2009 Posts: 381

So it seems that most of us will be off from Sept. 26 to Oct. 11th. I think I may let my students off on Sept. 24 and 25th to take advantage of National Day on Sept. 23 to get more vac. time. Yea! Very Happy

CANDLES · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 12:13 pm Post subject:

Academic calendars are printed to use up excess ink! In reality dates change, semester begins and ends randomly and only certain people know the exact dates and then Chinese whispers! Mad

plumpy nut · Joined: 12 Mar 2011 Posts: 1652

CANDLES · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 2:45 pm Post subject:

PN....

Wasn't/isn't Easter based on this concept of moon sighting, and hence the holidays are planned accordingly? Now it's all scientific, but months/dates still change!

plumpy nut · Joined: 12 Mar 2011 Posts: 1652

As I mentioned before the moon does not follow Heisenberg's law of uncertainty. It is easy to calculate the exact date of Easter for every year. Thanksgiving is even easier no celestial bodies used for that date. The date is known and planning occurs. It's not the same thing with the Saudi requirements for Ramadan obviously. Also my understanding is that other Mideast countries more sensibly just decide every year when Ramadan falls and that's that.

The way the Saudi's determine Ramadan follows this preoccupation with a primitive almost magical stipulation that if it's not done a certain way bad things will happen. I can guarantee that this kind of stuff disrupts profits for businesses and restaurants. The issue of the timing of Ramadan is relatively minor. However the same kind of thinking imposes forced closing down for prayers, and forced closing of restaurants for the fasting period that is imposed during Ramadan, even on people that don't want to be a part of it. All of this occurs because of this magical notion that bad things will happen because something will become displeased. If its not for 'magical reasons', then control from the top is just as good a reason. Either way the people that impose this stuff don't care about the money that is lost due to this kind of stupidity and the impact on the people living here. We are talking about money that could be useful to a lot of people that reside here, some of the people very poor. As has been mentioned before, when the oil's gone everything here goes to hell, although the enforced prayers etc. will probably continue.

The King Abdullah Finance Center that is being built about a mile from where I live is truly a curiosity. Are they really going to get international respect for any kind of financial or commercial transactions occurring in this country? I'll bet it goes down the road the rest of the country is going to go down. Back to dust.

MuscatGary · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 7:45 pm Post subject: