DOHA: In a bid to curb the menace of private tuitions in the country, the Supreme Education Council (SEC) has made it mandatory for all Independent Schools to provide free extra classes to their weak students after the regular working hours.
Through this move, the SEC has set an example for all the schools in the country and sent a strong message to those schools that have given a free hand to their teachers to conduct tuitions in the privacy of their homes.
The SEC said that the decision was intended to curb private tuitions, considering their negative impact on the students, families and the society, the Qatar News Agency reported yesterday.
This rampant practice has encouraged absenteeism in the classes and made students lazy, noted the SEC.
Qatar several years ago had imposed a blanket ban on private tuitions but it was not effectively implemented. Private tutors continued to thrive, amid a never-ending debate on how to curtail this worldwide phenomenon, which is often described a “necessary evil”.
The SEC has now come out with a more practical solution, making extra coaching mandatory on schools. Some schools have already been offering additional coaching for select student but the new directive could make it more organised and inclusive.
The SEC has directed the schools to provide extra coaching to students who need special support to cope with their studies.
The classes would range from compensatory and bridging programmes, preparatory classes for internal and international tests and for qualifying examinations for university admission.
Special coaching for outstanding students to help them excel in their respective areas has also been proposed, along with classes for weak students to improve their performance.
The students will be identified based on their performance in the school examinations. The schools should develop special curricula for these additional classes and assign trained and experienced teachers.
There should not be more than 15 students in one class. The classes will be conducted over four to eight weeks, with 16 hours for each subject. No student should not be given more than three subjects and no teacher should be assigned to teach more than three subjects.
Besides the teachers, the school should also assign a supervisor to monitor the academic and administrative aspects of the special coaching. THE PENINSULA
