DOHA: An interactive meeting between the Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Dr Mohammed Abdul Wahed Ali Al Hammadi and a host of Qatari academics and experts discussed a wide range of issues related to education in Qatar, including a proposal to reduce working hours at Independent schools.
The meeting proposed to set up a special committee to handle appointment of teachers at Independent schools and to authorise the trustee councils at these schools to intervene in issues related to student discipline. Currently appointments are handled by the school directors.
The meeting on Sunday aimed at seeking opinion and suggestions from the experts on ways to improve the quality of education in Qatar.
Some participants wanted to stop female teachers teaching boys at grades fifth and sixth and replace them with male teachers. Female teachers should be appointed only in grades 1 to 4 in boys schools, they felt.
It was also proposed to increase the number of student counsellors in boys and girls schools to improve discipline and to raise the salaries of the counsellors.
The meeting went until late in the evening, discussing a myriad of issues including problems facing teachers, administrative issues, national examinations and how to handle exam-related complaints from students and parents, according to Al Sharq.
Meanwhile, some parents speaking to Al Arab Arabic daily raised the issue of a lack of uniformity in the holidays of Independent and private schools. They suggested that the Supreme Education Council (SEC) and private schools coordinate to fix a uniform schedule for examinations and holidays.
They criticised the Independent schools resuming classes immediately after completion of examinations without giving a break to students. SEC is only concentrating on completing the school days and does not consider the feelings of the students, the meeting was told.
There were calls for revising Independent school curriculum to make it interesting for children and reduce the study load. It will also help reduce the school working hours. Concentration should be on quality rather than quantity, said some respondents.
International schools have longer working hours but none complaints because their time management is good, making students benefit from each minute, the daily quoted a participant as saying. A student at international school does not have to spend time for home work because it is done in the school itself. There are too many subjects in the Independent school curriculum and the contents are often boring, said another.
The Peninsula
