DOHA: The teaching staff and administrative staff of Independent schools will report for their duties on August 31 as the schools prepare to receive students on September 7 for the academic year 2014-2015, the Supreme Education Council (SEC) has announced.
In a circular sent to school principals and managers, the SEC has directed school administrators to prepare to receive students of all levels in a good environment. The schools are required to meet high standards for school buildings, school buses and school staff, reported Al Sharq.
The circular urged school directors to ensure that all construction and repair work at schools is complete, schools are well furnished, each classroom accommodates enough students, there are enough rest rooms for the students and that school canteens are in good shape. The circular also calls for ensuring that security and safety measures are in place in all schools.
As for school buses, the SEC said drivers and bus supervisors should have adequate training in handling students of all ages and know the locations of students’ pickup points. There should also be enough buses for the students from the first day of school and the buses should have safety and security features. The schools have been urged to select good bus supervisors (each bus should have two well-trained supervisors) and ensure that buses and private cars have separate parking areas in schools.
The SEC has also urged school administrations to fill up all teaching and staff vacancies, hold meetings to introduce staff to the SEC’s policies and inform each employee of their job description and have them sign a copy of it. Schools are also expected to hire enough cleaners and guards, according to the circular. School administrators were also urged to distribute lists of students in each classroom to the class teacher and update the class attendance list of students on a daily basis.
School administrators are supposed to hold a meeting with students in the first week of the term to clarify policies regarding absenteeism and school attendance and other disciplinary action related to adhering to school uniforms.
The schools were also urged to implement all procedures listed in the circular and informed that the SEC would be inspecting all Independent schools from the first day to ensure that its rules are adhered to.
The SEC also urged schools to follow its design for school uniforms, which must be Islamic and modest, and communicate with parents about their children’s performance and school activities by text messages.
THE PENINSULA
