The Education Directorate in Riyadh yesterday banned private schools from advertising for themselves without the prior approval of the directorate. “Private, international or community schools should not advertise in local or foreign newspapers or undertake other promotional activities such as hanging ads on school walls or public places. The school authorities should not allow any commercial offers or discount sales inside school campus,” Assistant Director General of Education for Boys Schools Muhammad Al-Sudairy said in a statement. The directorate issued the order on noticing a number of private schools publishing advertisements in newspapers and on Internet sites using photos of well-known persons, he said. The directorate also noticed that some schools are permitting commercial establishments to make offers of discount sales inside schools violating the regulations governing advertisements and marketing, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Arab news