Council plans campaign against private tuition

The Supreme Education Council (SEC) is to launch a crackdown against private tuition from the second semester of the current academic year.According to the local Arabic daily Al Arab, the campaign will prohibit private lessons and the promotion of the “phenomenon” with heavy penalties for people who would violate the rules.The daily, quoting Hassan  al-Muhammadi,  head of the Communication Office at the SEC, said the penalties for offenders could be imprisonment up to six months and fines reaching QR100,000 or both.Officers of the SEC will have the judicial authority to deal with any offence in this regard.Al-Hassan said the measures are being taken to implement the new law for practicing of educational services in Qatar issued last September. He urged publishing houses and advertisement platforms to participate in the campaign by refusing to release any material that promotes and encourages private tuition.According to the new law, the SEC has the authority to approve educational centres and issue sanctions against those who practice without permission. “Unauthorised private tutors will be targeted in the first phase of the drive,” al-Muhammadi said.To curb the “unhealthy” practice, awareness campaigns through different media will be run to inform the residents about the new law, he said. The council has already started adding lessons and explanations on the SEC website  so that students can study without the help of  tutors. In addition, special classes will be conducted at the schools for students who need help in some of the subjects. Blaming parents for the “laziness” of their kids, the official urged pupils to focus on their teachers in classes instead of depending on private tutors, a phenomenon which, he said, could have a negative impact on children in the future.