Admission-related issues faced mostly by expatriate community schools in view of a Supreme Education Council (SEC) directive to reduce class strengths to manageable levels have to be addressed on a priority basis.
The SEC directive, which was issued some two years ago, is clearly meant at improving the overall quality of education in the country, safeguarding children’s safety and providing them with the right ambience for academic growth.
The directive requires that all schools in the country reduce the number of students in each class to manageable levels to maintain a healthy student-teacher ratio.
Under this, schools are required to maintain class strength of up to 30 students to a teacher, from 1:40 earlier.
Following this, many expatriate schools in the country have been constrained to restrict the intake of new students.
As Gulf Times reported yesterday, many expatriate community schools in the country are facing a rush of admission-seekers months before the new academic year gets underway.
These include schools that cater mainly to Indians and Filipinos, who are among the two largest expatriate communities in Qatar.
While the demand far exceeds supply in terms of seat availability in Indian schools, the Filipino schools have been witnessing an increase in the number of applicants every year.
Clearly, the admission rush being faced by expatriate community schools underscores the fact that their number is not sufficient. The influx of expatriates into the country following Qatar’s rapid economic expansion has resulted in population exceeding more than 2.11mn.
Population growth in recent years has been driven up by the large ramp up in infrastructure spending, in preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Thousands of expatriates, many of them on family status, have been signed up for employment across the country.
The population has grown by some 40% since December 2010, when Qatar was officially chosen to host the 2022 World Cup. Since then, it has been recruiting foreign manpower at a rapid rate to support its many time-bound infrastructure projects.
Undoubtedly, all schools functioning in this country need to abide by the country’s rules and regulations. But the fact also remains that rush for school admission is something beyond their control.
The pressure on schools will only mount in the wake of population surge in the country. It is only natural that many white-collar expatriates will expect their children to be with them, and get educated here. Facilities need to be provided to cater to the genuine needs of expatriates, who will add value to this country.
Qatar’s focus on education has been exemplary. Efforts made to bring in some of the finest educational institutions to Doha and enhance curriculum quality at the primary and higher secondary levels are highly laudable.
It is hoped that SEC will look into the issues faced by expatriate community schools in Qatar and address them effectively.