(MENAFN- The Peninsula) QNA
Doha: President of Pre-University Education (PUE) division of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, Abeer Al Khalifa, revealed an expansion plan in QF schools that includes adding new classes in Qatar Academy-Al Khor and Qatar Academy-Al Wakrah, in a bid to handle a surge in applications particularly in Awsaj Academy and Renad Academy.
Speaking exclusively to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al Khalifa noted that QF schools, which have a capacity of 7500 male and female students from different nationalities with all seats reserved ahead of the 2022 summer vacation, will go ahead with its experiment of comprehensive academies that provide life-long learning experiences aimed at establishing globally competent students; noting that the qualitative learning offered at Qatar Foundation requires employing the optimum skills. The PUE has 1500 employees representing 78 citizenships - 30% males and 70% females - who are working on providing an integrated educational experience.
The President of QF Pre-University Education revealed a number of newly-adopted measures aimed at upgrading the educational process including the establishment of specialized schools and specialized educational needs - new departments linked with the Education Development Institute in a bid to expand offerings for students facing academic challenges. She also highlighted the launch of preschool grades in Awsaj Academy to qualify toddlers for the kindergarten stage, adding that some students will proceed their education in the educational development building to get access to extra resources.
She indicated that the schools will give due care to qualitative education and communication skills which enable students to be outstanding individuals, stressing that the values, skills and privileges acquired at the foundation schools are the main motivations for continued and intensified turnout.
Al Khalifa pointed to a great demand for Awsaj and Renad academies, which prompted the Foundation to submit an expansion plan to the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, whereas Awsaj will include additional classes for the academic year 2023-2024 at Qatar Academy-Al Khor, and Renad will include classes at Qatar Academy-Al Wakra with the opening of two classes for the primary stage, one for the preparatory stage, and each stage will contain 25 students.
She added that the newly introduced grades in Awsaj Academy were dedicated to children aged three to four years who have communication challenges, promising they will be better qualified to be enrolled next year as KG students.
Commenting on the newly launched admission department for the 2022-23 applications, Al Khalifa said the department enhances communication between the schools and parents through a specialized team that directs parents and provides them with sufficient information about all schools at the foundation, adding the applications were processed directly and within a short time.
She noted that parents were usually advised on the schools that suit their children's educational needs as well as boosting the parents' awareness on the curricula taught at the schools through introducing guidance classes, holding introductory sessions and open days that offer parents with a variety of programs that may suit their expectations and aspirations.
Regarding the advantages enjoyed by students of pre-university schools at Qatar Foundation, she told QNA that the institution's student had an academic environment that went beyond the school's building to encompass Education City as a whole with all its facilities. She stressed her commitment to ensuring parents realize the importance for their children to obtain leadership and social skills as well as the academic ones.
She said that they have launched a new program that will allow grade 11 and 12 students at Qatar Academy Sidra and Doha to access more education resources. She added that they added a new department that deals specifically with addressing the needs of students who are challenged academically.
On the impact of the pandemic, she said that there was a lot of learnings from that experience, highlighting that flexibility was the biggest one. She added that the pandemic showed that education is not just about providing enough physical capacity for students in terms of class rooms, but also having the infrastructure that could adapt to the latest requirements needed to ensure an uninterrupted access to education. She added that the role of the parents was also paramount, and that's why they dedicated a hotline specially for them to address all their needs. She also said that they provided employees with all the resources they need to enable them to follow up the progress of the students engaged in distanced-learning.
On school fees, she said that Qatar Foundation did not charge the highest fees in Qatar. She highlighted that the value proposition of the school was in the opportunity it provided to children to invest in their future, noting that fees should be thought of as an investment in the children's future. She also said that the school was always committed to attracting the best teaching talents to their schools, something that required a higher fee structure to address this investment need.
With respect to promoting the national identity and Arab and Islamic culture for students, President of QF Pre-University Education Abeer Al Khalifa told QNA that there are 3500 schools that apply international bachelor curriculum in 144 countries worldwide, and these schools are engaging in the mission of providing premium quality of education that offers the students the opportunity to chart the track of their learning and develop the skills and confidence they need to grow and make change in the world, pointing out that the students of these schools share common characteristics, including openness to the world and the willingness to the exploration and getting familiarized with civilizations, but at the same time, they adhere to their language and heritage, as their schools are keen to promote their awareness and belonging to their roots, and this is being focused on in Qatar Foundation schools. She hailed the instrumental role of parents in supporting this orientation through communicating with their sons and daughters with their mother language, promote their awareness of the local culture and heritage, as QF has bilingual schools, including the most capable teachers to teach Arabic language through innovated methods, approaches and initiatives on identity and heritage, stressing the importance of the role undertaken by the students' guardians in consolidating the love for mother tongue and instill it in the heart of their sons and daughters.
Regarding the interest of pre-university education in the mental health of children, especially those with disabilities, she stressed the importance of the pervasiveness of education and the psychological support, and accordingly QF has established many centers and plans to promote the mental health of students and workers, setting an example in the Learning Center, which provides support to students. The Foundation's Crisis Resolution Team also provides support to students, teachers and parents, as well as 'Ambassadors of Wellness program, which intends to engage students in the 11th and 12th grades from different QF schools in the process of awareness-raising about mental health for students in smaller classes, through intensive training offered to them, in addition to many other programs and initiatives aimed at promoting the mental health of all members of the society.
On the policies pursued by QF schools in countering bullying in the classes, she said that the schools have encountered a challenge of a substantial increase in the levels of bullying, whether in Qatar or worldwide in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era or after 'back to school' program, pointing out that QF remained committed to enforcing the entire necessary measures with respect to those responsible for bullying, indicating that QF has reaffirmed the importance of providing further support to the students who are vulnerable to such behavior, including the constant communication their guardians, and offer training courses for them, emphasizing that their role in homes is essential, because guardians could have substantive influence in protecting their children from bullying. She indicated that QF supports the effective policies that are aimed at protecting children against bullying, foremost of which is the policy of child protection which is being applied in the entire schools, which comprises raising the awareness of the operating staff and guardians of the importance of detecting any potential behaviors which indicate that the child suffers from certain problem.
'We constitute, build and innovate in order to promote the child's passion for learning, because when the child comes to school every morning, we provide him the entire support, including the conducive environment that stimulates him to offer the best things he has,' she said.
With respect to QF's role in evolving the future of education in the state of Qatar, she said that QF has been contributing to making substantial evolution in the future of education since its inception, including the countering of potential grave challenges, stressing that QF is keen to support the strenuous efforts of developing the community through offering the opportunities for other educational institutions in the state of Qatar to capitalize on QF's experiences and approaches, adding that QF has signed numerous agreements, including an agreement with the ministry of education & higher education to annually train thousands of stakeholders through the functional training center, and a cooperation agreement with the Swiss International School Qatar and the Qatari French School Voltaire, in addition to the development of specialized curricula in Islamic education, and inviting those concerned to further benefit from these curricula, noting that the doors of GF are open to all, in order to serve the common goals of raising the level of education in Qatar.
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