International community schools in the Kingdom have received requests from a large number of students for transfer certificates (or school-leaving certificates) as their first step in leaving the Kingdom for good. “Applications for transfer certificates are in alarming proportions,” said the principal of an international school. According to the management of the International Indian School in Dammam (IISD), every year 800 to 1,000 students apply for school-leaving certificates after completing their higher secondary education. However this year, more than 3,000 students have sought transfer or school-leaving certificates. Indian schools in Jeddah, Riyadh and Jubail have also received requests from a large number of students for school-leaving certificates. Similar is the case at Pakistani international schools and Philippines’ schools. The dropout rate is so high that schools that had closed admissions had to re-open them.