The demand for seats and the number of enrollees at the Philippine schools and the American School of Doha (ASD) continues to increase every year, officials concerned have said.
The Philippine School Doha (PSD) located in the Al Messilah area, has been receiving hundreds of “reservations” every year due to the growing Filipino population in the country.
“However, due to space constraints at its current location, we can only accommodate a maximum of 3,500 students for the 2016-2017 academic year, including the incoming K11 students,” PSD principal Alexander Acosta said.
The number of students on PSD’s waiting list at all levels is between 300 and 500 annually and about 150 are being admitted, according to the school registrar’s office.
“In fact, many parents back home want to ‘reserve’ seats for their children for the next school year,” registrar Michaelino A Saratan said.
The Philippine International School Qatar in Ain Khalid also cited an increasing number of enrollees every year. Officials said they are flooded with calls and requests from parents to consider admitting their children.
Meanwhile, parents of those who failed to be admitted usually struggle to find a suitable alternative due to factors such as high tuition fees and location.
“I still prefer schools located within the city proper to avoid any hassle as I also need to reach office on time,” said a resident, who takes his son to school every morning.
Acosta stressed that they want to accommodate as many students as possible but the school has to comply with civil defence directives.
He, though, expressed confidence that the new PSD building in Abu Hamour would meet the growing demand for seats. He expects its construction to be finished early this year, ahead of the deadline in mid-2016.
Designed with more rooms and facilities than the current building, he noted that more than 4,000 students can be housed on the new campus once fully operational.
About his expectations for this year, the principal said: “Academic year 2016-2017 will be a year of more achievements - both academic and co-curricular.”
“With Grade 11 in PSD and approval from the Department of Education to be the first Philippine Science School in the Middle East, the school hopes to maintain or even outdo what it has achieved in 2015,” he added.
The ASD confirmed that it has candidates - Qatari as well as non-Qatari - on the waiting list.
“As ASD continues to grow, so does our campus. Phase 4 of the campus improvement project will result in an expanded library and administrative office space for the elementary school, a new gymnasium and learner swimming pool, several new classrooms, and a covered courtyard as an additional indoor play space,” said marketing and communications co-ordinator Belinda Jones.
“These additional and enhanced spaces will provide great opportunities for our current students and for students who attend ASD years into the future,” she added.
ASD is an independent, US-accredited college preparatory school committed to providing educational excellence through a standard based, internationally-enriched American culture.