DOHA: The Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Mohammed Abdul Wahed Al Hammadi yesterday issued a decision on the procedures for the educational voucher programme for Qatari students.
Vouchers allow students to pursue education in select private schools with state support. Every student is entitled to QR28,000 per year towards tuition fee, transport fee and the cost of books.
The Supreme Education Council (SEC) will pay the amount to the schools concerned on behalf of the students in two installments every year. Currently, 71 private schools are included in the programme.
The decision says a student is entitled to one voucher every semester worth the value allocated for that term. The student is not eligible for another voucher for the same period even if he/she is dismissed/withdraws from the school or joins another school. If a student joins school after the beginning of the academic year, he is still entitled to the voucher allocated to that semester.
In case the student is transferred or joins an Independent school during the semester, his parents are obliged to refund the whole value of the voucher to the SEC. They can repay the amount in two or more instalments.
If the parent of the student works in a governmental body, he should produce a letter from that organization showing his place of work. The letter should be addressed to the school that his child is enrolled and should mention that the parent doesn’t get any education allowance.
The parent can recover the voucher amount if he had already paid the school fees. The SEC, meanwhile, organised a meeting with representatives of the private schools included in the programme to explain to them the procedures.
Fauziya Al Khater, director of the Education Institute said payment of the voucher has now been centralized through the SEC to make it easier for the parents.
In case the school fee is higher than the value of voucher- QR28,000- the parents should pay the balance, she clarified.
The schools are required to enter students’ data into the SEC database. SEC will verify the information and transfer the money to the school, accordingly.
The Peninsula
