In order to attract experienced educational staff to the country, the Qatari government needs to establish a clear reward programme, linked to professional development for teachers, a report on Qatar by Collier International has said.
“With the existing supply unable to meet an increasing demand, and high potential for niche markets, Qatar offers a number of opportunities for educational operators in an environment which provides high returns and vast potential for growth,” the report said, adding that given the market fundamentals, it is expected that the primary key success factor for any educational development in the existing market is the presence of a branded regional and international operator.
The education sector in Qatar has experienced a period of reforms since the 1990s.
Attracting good teachers to Qatar is relatively difficult compared to other parts of the GCC, said the report, which suggested an aggressively and in-time recruitment policy be put in place to ensure the hiring of quality teachers.
“Compared to the market demand, the education indicators do not reflect the income level enjoyed by the majority of the population in the country, thus requiring heavy investment over the medium to long term,” the report said.
However, the report stated that despite increased budget allocations, education spending in term of total gross domestic product (GDP) in Qatar continues to remain behind many
developed markets.
Education spending in Qatar (3.3% of GDP) is almost half compared to what is allocated in markets such as South Africa (6% GDP), Netherlands (5.9% GDP) and the United Kingdom (5.6%).
According to the report, an increasing population base, due to increased economic activities as a result of increased income growth and the World Cup, together with the proposed introduction of compulsory secondary education, the education sector in Qatar is set to grow in the short to medium term.
“Even though the government has undertaken some active measures to meet the demand for education staff, it remains a challenge for the education sector to deliver a student to teacher ratio that meets international standard,” the report said.
Qatar, having one of the highest per capita income in world, it is only likely that the volume of expatriates migrating to Qatar will increase. The demographics will have a predisposition to be selective in regards to the quality of education
provided to the children.
During the academic year 2010/11, 60% of the total student population was dominated by non-Qataris.
Further analysis by school type revealed that while Independent schools are primarily made up of Qatari nationals, they represent less than 20% of total student population in private schools.
Also, the majority of staff employed within the private education sector in Qatar is mainly consisting of non-Qatari females.
Qatar’s optimistic plans to invest over 18% of the governmental spending in education, reflects an increased appreciation of the value and commitment towards the sector.
The under-supplied market along with attractive returns offered by the education sector in the private sector in Qatar, highlights significant potential for foreign investors to fill the supply gap, the report suggested.
