Doha: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has stepped up efforts to ensure smooth entry into Qatar for staff of private schools recruited from abroad.
“As far as human resources of private schools and kindergartens are concerned, the coordination with Private Schools Licensing Department and other departments has been made to ascertain the total number of newly-recruited staff and provide their details to the competent authorities to ensure their smooth entry into the country,” said Director of Private Schools Affairs Department, Rashid Ahmed Al Ameri.
This came in a statement issued by the Ministry on the occasion of the start of the new academic year for 2021-22. Private schools have welcomed the Ministry’s initiative, terming it a great help in filling the vacancies of teachers. “With increase in number of students in classroom learning, we need to recruit new teachers to meet the requirements in our school,” an administrator at a private Pakistani school told The Peninsula.
He said the school is about to make announcement for vacancies to recruit teachers for five subjects from Pakistan. “Last academic year, we managed with existing academic staff because of online learning but for this academic year we need teachers. The initiative by the Ministry in facilitating the entry of teachers in the country will be a great helping hand for private schools,” he said.
The Ministry has also announced to provide textbooks of compulsory subjects to students of private schools soon. “When it comes to learning resources and curriculum, the total number of students has been identified in all private schools and kindergartens to provide them with textbooks of three compulsory subjects — Arabic, Islamic Studies and Qatar History — right from the beginning of the new academic year,” Al Ameri added.
He said some private schools had received students a couple of days ago, while others will receive their students with government schools tomorrow, the first day of new academic year.
Al Ameri pointed out that the Ministry’s consultants paid field visits to all private schools and kindergartens to ensure that they were well-prepared for the new academic year and provide due support to schools and kindergartens to overcome any obstacles they may face.
He said inspection paperwork was completed to meet requirements of private schools and kindergartens before students return to classrooms. Al Ameri said the consultants have been tasked with conducting training workshops to ensure school staff’s readiness for such inspection visits.
Director of Private Schools Affairs Department referred to a series of video conference meetings held with private schools and kindergartens recently to update them on recommendations that would contribute significantly to curbing the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in close co-ordination with the Ministry of Public Health.
He said such recommendations have been shared with all private schools and kindergartens to raise awareness of students and parents of COVID-19 prevention. Al Ameri stressed that meetings have resulted in schools’ commitment and compliance with the rules and regulations issued by the Ministry. Private schools and kindergartens were also given the opportunity to express their perspectives on the challenges they face.
He said private schools and kindergartens have been recommended to act in strict compliance with Circular No.(12) for 2021 and the safety guidelines adopted by the Health and Safety Department at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to create a safe learning environment for students and take all necessary preventive measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
Al Ameri said that plans have been in place to monitor effective implementation of Schools Events Framework, particularly those related to fostering of values and national identity. He also highlighted the close cooperation with Qatar Scouts and Guides Association to ensure the engagement of volunteers to monitor the compliance of private schools and kindergartens with COVID-19 safety measures.
