Shura Council Discusses Issues And Efforts To Develop Educational System

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The Shura Council held its weekly session, in Tamim Bin Hamad Hall, headed by its Speaker HE Hassan bin Abdullah al-Ghanim.
In the presence of HE the Minister of Education and Higher Education Buthaina bint Ali al-Jabr al-Nuaimi, the council discussed the most important educational issues, especially education development initiatives, implementation of the ministry's strategic plans, teacher training, education for people with disabilities, achievements and future plans.
HE al-Nuaimi referred to the education process in Qatar and the development witnessed during the last 15 years, and new directions in light of the country's development strategies during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
She highlighted some statistics and indicators, as the number of students in the general education stage exceeds 326,000 distributed in about 600 schools, while the number of higher education students reaches more than 35,000 in 33 university educational institutions.
HE al-Nuaimi said that since 2018, the ministry has strengthened the focus on improving the quality of education in the country.
She said that there are four main axes for the development of the educational system in Qatar, stemming from the four pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030: the first is the axis of students, in which their capabilities are strengthened and they acquire the basic and necessary skills to keep pace with the requirements of reality, instilling in them the values of the Qatari identity, developing and strengthening them.
The second axis is related to teachers, as it aims to attract, train and develop them, pay attention to those with international competencies, and find various options for professional development.
The third axis, focuses on schools, seeking to be safe, advanced and attractive, developing early education services and raising enrollment rates, and building a comprehensive educational experience, aiming to improve the quality of school life for students.
The fourth axis focuses on the ministry through developing institutional capacities, while ensuring the highest level of transparency and accountability, and building partnerships with families, and the public and private sectors, in order to achieve efficiency, equality, inclusiveness, growth and innovation in the educational system.
She also affirmed the ministry's keenness to attract qualified teachers, focus on Qataris among them, build and develop their capabilities, and provide them with the necessary tools and capabilities to enable them to teach according to the highest quality standards.
HE al-Nuaimi noted the ministry's interest in people with disabilities, by integrating them into the educational process, and creating a suitable environment for them to enhance their capabilities and provide them with all support. Within this framework, she referred to the establishment of a number of specialised schools for people with disabilities.
She also referred to the ministry's efforts to integrate students with disabilities, through programmes and plans that seek to provide them with the necessary skills that enable them to enter the labor market, and to represent an added value in society.
HE the Minister pointed out the ministry's interest in governance, digital transformation and the speed of launching e-learning, indicating in this regard that Qatar was one of the first countries to invest in the technology sector since 2012.
She touched on the challenges facing the ministry, including maintaining the quality of education, equality in education attainment, and achieving excellence through improving the work environment, stressing that the ministry is working hard to overcome these challenges.
In response to several inquiries of members of the Shura Council, HE al-Nuaimi affirmed the ministry's keenness to enhance the teacher's status, and to pay attention to the comprehensive and periodic evaluation of the educational system, to ensure the quality of education and address any deficiencies if the need arises.
HE the Speaker al-Ghanim stressed the need to increase the number of Qatari teachers, work to enhance the school environment, and to find appropriate solutions to overcome the difficulties that prevent this from being achieved.
For their part, members of the Shura Council praised the education ministry's role, affirming their keenness to support the ministry in its efforts to enhance the educational process, and focused during their interventions on developing and revising curricula, Qatarisation of teaching jobs, motivating and training teachers, and educating people with disabilities.
They stressed the importance of continuing to provide qualitative education for people with disabilities and promote their educational opportunities, integrate them, and provide them with a suitable learning environment, out of the State's care for them and its endeavour to empower them.

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