Ministry Of Education Organizes Forum For Student Counseling In Private Schools, Kindergartens

Doha, Qatar: The Department of Private schools and Kindergartens Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) organized today a forum for Student Counseling under the theme 'Towards a Safe and Cohesive Educational Community'.

The forum was attended by several officials, academics, principals of schools, kindergartens, private educational centers, parents and students.

The forum aims to launch the first edition of the Student Counseling Guide for Private Schools and Kindergartens 2025 and enable private schools and students to access the services provided by all specialists in the field of student counseling in the State of Qatar, in order to provide care and a safe environment and exchange experiences, in addition to introducing stakeholders to the services of social institutions and student care.

Assistant Undersecretary for Special Education Affairs Omar Abdulaziz Al Naama, emphasized the shared responsibility to enhance the role of student counseling, making it more effective and sustainable. This approach aims to achieve psychological and social adaptation for students, ensuring their academic stability in an environment that supports their aspirations and considers their diverse needs.

He stressed the ministry's keenness to support initiatives that contribute to achieving this goal, and to enhance the role of social and psychological specialists by providing the necessary tools and resources to enable them to perform their mission to the fullest.

Al Naama added that today marks the launch of the first initiative of its kind in private education, which is a comprehensive framework to enhance this responsibility in partnership with state institutions concerned with protecting and caring for students.

For her part, Director of the Department of Private Schools and Kindergartens Affairs Dr. Rania Mohammed confirmed that this guide serves as a comprehensive road map.

It aims to empower social and psychological specialists, as well as all those responsible for the care and protection of children and students in private schools, to provide them with psychological and educational support. This will be done according to the latest approved methods and practices, fostering a healthy and balanced educational environment for students.

She pointed out that student counseling is the cornerstone in building students' personalities and enhancing their psychological, social and educational health. It is not just a service provided when needed, but rather an integrated system based on scientific and educational foundations that guarantee the student a supportive environment that contributes to his psychological stability and healthy growth. From this standpoint, the Student Counseling Guide for private schools and kindergartens was prepared, addressing various aspects that contribute to enhancing the quality of student counseling in private schools.

In turn, Munira Al Hajri, Senior Student Counseling Expert at MOEHE and Head of the Student Counseling Guide Working Group, discussed the role of the advisory team, which consisted of experts in the field of education, psychological and social counseling.

She stressed that there are future plans to expand and create partnerships with governmental and private institutions in order to build a safe and balanced environment to protect and care for students in the State of Qatar.

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education HE Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi opened the accompanying exhibition, which featured several centers specialized in supporting and protecting students, He listened to a detailed explanation of the nature of their work and the advice and guidance provided by these centers to private schools and kindergartens in order to provide support, care and protection for students.

The forum witnessed the holding of several dialogue sessions that emphasized the importance of the role of social workers in schools and raising awareness among families about dealing clearly and transparently with the school and relevant parties with the aim of building a correct database that serves all students, preserves their behavior and actions and provides them with advice and protection.

It is worth noting that the first Student Counselling Guide for Private Schools and Kindergartens is considered the first initiative of its kind in private education, as the guide was prepared by the administration of private schools and kindergartens, which addressed the controls and procedures for student guidance, the ethical charter for student guidance work, the qualifications and skills of the student guidance officer, and the mechanism for dealing with some community institutions in the country, in addition to the roles and responsibilities associated with student guidance and the roles and responsibilities of community institutions in providing a safe environment for students in private schools and kindergartens.

The guide was reviewed by eight institutions concerned with student care and protection, namely the Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Interior, the Community Police, the Behavioral Health Care Center, the National Human Rights Committee, Sidra Medical Center, Aman Center, the Wifaq Family Consulting Center, and the Nawfar Center for Preventive Health Care.

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