Qatar is in the process of establishing the National Commission for Qualifications and Academic Accreditation to ensure the quality of higher education, HE the Minister of Education and Higher Education Buthaina bint Ali al-Jabr al-Nuaimi has said.
She also noted that the number of school hours in Qatar is 7,530, which is close to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average of 7,590.
HE the Minister made the observations during an interview with Qatar Television on Saturday, discussing the outcomes of the educational process in Qatar and the ministry's plans for the next phase.
"Education is a top priority for our wise leadership, and it is an essential pillar of Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV2030)," she said, as highlighted in an infographic published by the Government Communications Office.
HE the Minister informed that 99.2% of teachers and 92.8% of students used the 'Qatar Education' platform, whereas only 9% of parents did so.
"The enrollment rate in early education in Qatar has reached 45%, which is average, and we aim to enhance and increase it," she noted.
She also pointed out that no authorisation is given to establish a private school without ensuring quality standards to guarantee the quality of the output and the educational process.
Meanwhile, under the guidance of HE the Prime Minister, a ministerial committee was established to research the behavioural issues of adolescents.
HE the Minister said there are five schools for individuals with disabilities and 70 schools for boys and girls that implement this category's integration programme at varying stages.
On teachers, she said: "The working conditions of teachers in Qatar are superior to those in other countries in the region, and we are working to provide incentives related to capacity building.
"We have several initiatives to encourage college and high school graduates to join the teaching profession."
According to HE al-Nuaimi, the 'Tomooh' programme has recruited 1,200 male and female high school graduates into the teaching profession since its inception in 2011.
Qatar has 34 institutions of higher education that offer 365 academic programmes, a diversity that serves the needs of the labour market, she highlighted.
"Partnership with parents and other State institutions is essential for the achievement of QNV2030 and the success of the educational process," she added.
HE the Minister said the student is at the centre of the educational development process, along with values and ethics, and strategic directions.
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) has held national consultations on how to improve the educational system with some 50 entities and stakeholders.
She also touched upon the national strategy for e-learning, noting that Qatar has been one of the first countries in the region since 2012 to introduce e-learning in its schools, and continues to improve this system through which it wants to achieve governance, inculcate a digital culture for students, and facilitate the development of digital content - providing an educational structure that enables comprehensive access and communication.
She said all teachers were trained through the training and development programme to link their performance to e-learning through the 'Qatar Education' platform. She noted the importance of partnering with parents to activate their participation and effective communication with the school.
Regarding future directions, HE the Minister referred to the 'My School My Community', 'Good Start' and 'Towards Excellence' initiatives.
She stressed that the students' voice is important and they must have a role. Accordingly, they will have a committee that will participate in consultations, which will be active in the second semester, just like the advisory committee for principals and the teachers' committee. She also highlighted the importance of providing vocational guidance, which will start from the preparatory stage. There is co-operation with the Qatar Career Development Centre to train mentors in this field.
HE the Minister said students with special needs enjoy the same rights and all of the above applies to them with respect to the rest of the students. She also emphasised the expansion of specialised schools for people with special needs and said efforts are being made to transform and rehabilitate them to integrate them into regular schools.
She noted the importance of partnering with private schools to find a variety of options for curricula and teaching methods. The ministry's role is to support and advance the private and public sectors for continuity and quality.
HE the Minister concluded on the topic of higher education, saying that Qatar is an attractive environment for higher education, as it offers distinguished education to students of several different nationalities, while scholarships abroad remain important to provide Qatari students with cultural, life and practical experiences.
HE the Minister made the observations during an interview with Qatar Television on Saturday, discussing the outcomes of the educational process in Qatar and the ministry's plans for the next phase.
"Education is a top priority for our wise leadership, and it is an essential pillar of Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV2030)," she said, as highlighted in an infographic published by the Government Communications Office.
HE the Minister informed that 99.2% of teachers and 92.8% of students used the 'Qatar Education' platform, whereas only 9% of parents did so.
"The enrollment rate in early education in Qatar has reached 45%, which is average, and we aim to enhance and increase it," she noted.
She also pointed out that no authorisation is given to establish a private school without ensuring quality standards to guarantee the quality of the output and the educational process.
Meanwhile, under the guidance of HE the Prime Minister, a ministerial committee was established to research the behavioural issues of adolescents.
HE the Minister said there are five schools for individuals with disabilities and 70 schools for boys and girls that implement this category's integration programme at varying stages.
On teachers, she said: "The working conditions of teachers in Qatar are superior to those in other countries in the region, and we are working to provide incentives related to capacity building.
"We have several initiatives to encourage college and high school graduates to join the teaching profession."
According to HE al-Nuaimi, the 'Tomooh' programme has recruited 1,200 male and female high school graduates into the teaching profession since its inception in 2011.
Qatar has 34 institutions of higher education that offer 365 academic programmes, a diversity that serves the needs of the labour market, she highlighted.
"Partnership with parents and other State institutions is essential for the achievement of QNV2030 and the success of the educational process," she added.
HE the Minister said the student is at the centre of the educational development process, along with values and ethics, and strategic directions.
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) has held national consultations on how to improve the educational system with some 50 entities and stakeholders.
She also touched upon the national strategy for e-learning, noting that Qatar has been one of the first countries in the region since 2012 to introduce e-learning in its schools, and continues to improve this system through which it wants to achieve governance, inculcate a digital culture for students, and facilitate the development of digital content - providing an educational structure that enables comprehensive access and communication.
She said all teachers were trained through the training and development programme to link their performance to e-learning through the 'Qatar Education' platform. She noted the importance of partnering with parents to activate their participation and effective communication with the school.
Regarding future directions, HE the Minister referred to the 'My School My Community', 'Good Start' and 'Towards Excellence' initiatives.
She stressed that the students' voice is important and they must have a role. Accordingly, they will have a committee that will participate in consultations, which will be active in the second semester, just like the advisory committee for principals and the teachers' committee. She also highlighted the importance of providing vocational guidance, which will start from the preparatory stage. There is co-operation with the Qatar Career Development Centre to train mentors in this field.
HE the Minister said students with special needs enjoy the same rights and all of the above applies to them with respect to the rest of the students. She also emphasised the expansion of specialised schools for people with special needs and said efforts are being made to transform and rehabilitate them to integrate them into regular schools.
She noted the importance of partnering with private schools to find a variety of options for curricula and teaching methods. The ministry's role is to support and advance the private and public sectors for continuity and quality.
HE the Minister concluded on the topic of higher education, saying that Qatar is an attractive environment for higher education, as it offers distinguished education to students of several different nationalities, while scholarships abroad remain important to provide Qatari students with cultural, life and practical experiences.
