The following lines include an urgent call from the bottom of the hearts of students and their parents to the Qatari teacher and those who are responsible for attracting him once again and convincing him to come back to his fertile environment as an educator, a teacher and a mentor for his students.
This does not include any underestimation for our fellow reputable Arab teachers, however, Qataris’ turnout for educating and their positive continuance in the teaching field are considered demands and absolute necessities because of the significant influence Qatari teachers have over their students and their ability to adapt and interact with them positively and fruitfully.
Education comes as a priority for our wise leadership, therefore it gets infinite interest and support, for it is considered the foundation of building and the pillar of development.
Despite the increasing need for their efforts in this particular critical and vital field, Qatari graduates became reluctant to join the teaching career. This forms an actual chronic crisis as Qatarisation indicators in the field of education began decreasing alarmingly, in a way that lead to make the education field completely free of Qatari teachers, and this is a serious loss for us, at the time we are still suffering from its dangerous implications over the situations of education in general.
Salaries of teachers are not tempting to Qataris anymore, despite that it is the highest compared to salaries of public employees. Promises of better privileges are not convincing anymore to apply for this job, even granting rewarding monthly bonuses to students to join the training programme to work as teachers after only two years did not manage to attract enough Qataris.
Moreover, those who we rely on to add a national character to the education field are gradually withdrawing, and if we were serious about attracting national elements to work in the education field, we should have excluded the reasons behind that reluctance to achieve an important national strategic demand, which I can list as follows:
— The education system turned into what looks like the private sector business, while the Supreme Education Council, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs are in conflict over its supervision.
— Domination of Independent school operators, their deputies and lack of response to teachers’ demands.
— Extra burden and assignments for teachers, which affect their educational performance and are a hindrance to performing important roles.
— The absence of the educational role of the Ministry, reducing its powers, which discourage efforts and makes teachers feel that their interests are not protected.
— Cancelling the educational guidance role and role of curriculum experts and replaced with weak procedures that have negative results.
— Introducing weak discipline procedures, student counselling system and leniency towards students’ encroachments to their teachers.
— Introduction of many tests, which confused students and hindered the achievement of assessment goals.
— Focussing on names and formalities on the expense of essential cases that are related to education and teachers.
— Depriving teachers of their powers and leadership roles in schools and the society.
— Unreasonably increasing official work hours and the duration of classes.
And now after I have listed reasons for reluctance, I provide a number of solutions, based on field experiences and realistic experiences regarding this vital field, and I see that they are enough to regain the role of Qatari teachers and the role of Qatari graduates to choose such career, by doing the following:
— Correct the education track once again by counting on the education foundations drawn from our religious principles and values
— Granting special privileges to Qatari teachers, including immunity, healthcare and travel facilities and give them respectful status.
— Activation of discipline regulations for behavioural changes and moral control, by applying deterrent measures against violators and students shows disrespect to their teachers.
— Cancelling what called “model schools”.
— Seeking expertise of Qatari teachers, experts and curriculum experts in drawing educational policies and curriculum development
— Forming a more effective university education system at faculties of education in order to graduate qualified students to work at the education field after making them acquire the required skills by through practical training in schools before graduation
— Empowering teachers, reduce their loads, and grant them full independency to play their constructive roles
— Assigning old teachers to supervisory and administrative positions at the Ministry instead of expatriates, with due respect to all nationalities.
— Raising awareness about the important role of Qatari teachers and the need for their efforts to embody our overall national vision.
Achieving our dear national demand to Qataris’ education in order to regain its national identity, and realisation of this depends on making the aforesaid solutions true.
I call upon decision makers to take serious steps in this direction before the field of education gets rid of its nationals, and we are still hoping for successful solutions that would make the education field regain its worthy stature and prestige.
The way to achieve our major aspirations will not be possible without reform of this vital sector.
