'Qatar working to develop a strong and diversified educational sector'

Assistant Undersecretary for Private Education Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education Omar Abdulaziz al-Naama has affirmed that Qatar's investment in technological infrastructure enhances leadership and innovation in how to manage private educational facilities and communicate with various stakeholders.In exclusive remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA), al-Naama said Qatar is working to develop a strong and diversified educational sector that responds to various international standards and contributes to achieving its national vision aimed at building a competitive knowledge-based economy and developing a creative workforce that meets the country's future needs and responds to various labour market requirements by offering various private education facilities and multiple educational alternatives for children, students and parents.In a related context, he added that the educational process requires continuous development and careful openness. Attracting distinguished international schools will contribute to providing the appropriate educational environment for Qatari students to study in the most prestigious international universities, he said, pointing out that the success rate in these schools is more than 90%, while the average enrollment in reputable universities ranges between 90 and 99.9%.Al-Naama said that all international schools in Qatar are attractive and distinguished, and they are witnessing an increasing demand from students. They were attracted as part of an initiative aimed at providing the country's education system with successful experiences, he said, stressing that they have created an environment of positive competition with the rest of the schools in Qatar and provided students with advanced educational options along with other options since the beginning of the implementation of its initiative until the current academic year 2023-2024. He revealed that there are about 25 private educational curricula in Qatar, which include various foreign curricula in addition to the national curriculum.The initiative to attract international schools has witnessed tangible successes, especially during the last decade, as it has become one of the basic components of the public education system, al-Naama said, noting that its success was reflected in the increase in its number as well as the number of its students and its qualitative outputs that achieved outstanding results at the local and international levels.He explained that the parents' keen interest in enrolling their children in these high-performing schools is due to the various educational services they offer and their academic excellence. These schools have witnessed an increase in numbers, with a balanced gender ratio and a diverse enrollment of Qatari nationals and residents.He discussed the procedures followed to attract international schools to establish branches in Qatar. These procedures are based primarily on quality and efficiency, as well as the school's history, academic reputation, and ranking in its home country. Moreover, the school's alignment with Qatar's education system.He emphasised the ministry's relationship with international schools and its role in supervising and ensuring compliance with laws and policies. This oversight involves academic and administrative field visits to verify compliance with three mandatory articles following the approved systems and standards.Regarding educational resources in private schools, al-Naama explained that they are approved by the ministry before implementation. It is the responsibility of the school owner to ensure compliance with Qatari values and principles. He said that the ministry has prepared guidelines for approving educational resources in private schools and kindergartens last updated in 2021.He stressed that these guidelines form the basis for the most important conditions and regulations that educational institutions should adhere to without neglecting the competencies and skills required of students and the need to preserve Arab and Islamic values while ensuring obtain the highest levels of education aligned with the ministry's vision.Any violations of these guidelines and procedures are considered a breach by the school. Penalties for such violations are implemented in accordance with the law, as outlined in the recently issued 'Guide to penalties for private schools', as well as the 'Ethical charter' that defines the duties of private schools, starting from the operator to all members of the school community, he said.Responding to a question regarding the appointment of teachers and staff in the private education sector, the Assistant Undersecretary for Private Education Affairs said that there are clear conditions and regulations in place. These criteria are applied in all private educational facilities, including nurseries, schools, kindergartens, educational and training centres. Candidates for administrative and academic positions in these institutions are nominated after verifying their compliance with the ministry's requirements and regulations.He discussed the incentives provided to distinguished international schools to encourage them and make investments in private education more attractive.He emphasised that Qatar aims to enhance the role of investors in developing the education sector by establishing new nurseries, private schools, educational, vocational, and training centres. This is in line with the principles of competitiveness and diversity, where non-Qatari investors are allowed 100% ownership. The state contributes continuously by providing land to investors in line with defined requirements and in coordination with relevant ministries. In addition, tax and customs exemptions are granted, and various forms of financial and consultative support are available during the establishment of educational institutions.