Coming late for congregational Salah due to supervising students

Q: We, the teaching personnel of `Abdul-Rahman Al-Ghafiqy Secondary School in Jeddah, offer the Zhuhr (Noon) Prayer in congregation along with our students, thanks to Allah. However, supervising the great number of students is a problem. In fact, we sometimes miss some Rak`ahs (units of Prayer) and sometimes do not perform the supervision duty properly as we try not to miss congregational Salah (Prayer). Moreover, some students remain at the classrooms and thus miss congregational Salah. Your Eminence Shaykh, we suggested that two congregations should be made; one to be offered by some teachers before the students offer it so that they may later supervise students while offering Salah. However, we do not know whether doing so is in line with Shari`ah (Islamic law) rulings and whether we are rewarded for doing so. To feel assured, we sent this letter to Your Eminence so that you might instruct us. Actually, we hope that Your Eminence will send us your answer in a written form, along with some advice to your sons, so that our brothers can read it.May Allah safeguard you and make you beneficial for Muslims.

A: There is nothing wrong with appointing supervisors for students while offering congregational Salah so that discipline may be maintained in this regard even if it leads to missing the first congregational Salah. Actually, they are performing the task of propagation of virtue and prevention of vice, which is an indispensable task. In this regard, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: I have considered ordering the Iqamah (call to start the Prayer) to be proclaimed, then ask someone to lead the people in Salah, and then go to those (Part No. 7; Page No. 11) [Who did not attend the congregational Salah] ... The Hadith.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.