DOHA: The Supreme Education Council (SEC) has decided to reintroduce visual arts curriculum in select Independent schools in the next academic year beginning September following a successful pilot phase that saw tremendous interest in the subject among students.
The curriculum will be introduced in grades five and six in 10 schools, the SEC said yesterday.
Teachers in the pilot schools have reported a lower rate of absenteeism among students on days when an arts class was scheduled. The interactive nature of the programme has also raised participation levels among students, said the SEC.
This is the second phase of a plan to reintroduce visual arts across all grades, and follows the successful pilot project in grades three and four in five Independent schools. The second phase will also see grades three and four curriculum spread to 96 Independent schools.
The SEC said it is continuously using input from the pilot phases to develop the programme, to reintegrate visual arts in all Independent schools in the coming years.
Students, teachers and parents have welcomed the newly introduced arts curriculum, praising the educational, innovative and entertaining nature of the programme.
Khadiga Al Wadaani, a student at Al Bayan Primary Two School for girls, accompanied her mother to one of the arts classes.
Her mother said, “The visual arts class is very interactive as well as educational. I enjoyed it as a parent and could see that students enjoyed it as well.”
During the pilot phase, students took part in artistic activities, and showcased their artwork in workshops, attended art exhibitions and visited museums around Qatar. The curriculum is developed by the SEC in partnership with key local cultural institutions, including Qatar Museums, Qatar University, Qatar Foundation, and Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar. They formed a committee that has worked on the syllabus, evaluation criteria, teacher training and roll-out plans.
So far, 138 teacher have been trained to teach the arts syllabus.
Basma Al Hagri, an arts teacher at Saad Ibn Abi Waqas Independent School for Boys, stressed the importance of teacher-training workshops, saying they “provide teachers with necessary tools to plan their arts classes in a way that is suitable for every grade, and ensure a cumulative learning process.”
Donia Ahmed Abu Faisal Al Darwish, an arts teacher at Al Manar Model Independent School for Boys, echoed the sentiment, “Training workshops provide teachers with necessary background in arts history, aesthetic interpretation and artistic expression which enables them to develop and nurture their students’ talents.”
“Students’ artworks show a great deal of creativity and talent, as well as influence from the Arab and Islamic art they have been exposed to throughout this programme,” said Fawzia Al Khater, Director, Education Institute, SEC.
“I’m delighted with the impact our partnership with institutions that are so integral to the cultural scene in Qatar has had on the first phase of this pilot, and look forward to seeing the success of further stages.”
The Peninsula
