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WantToKnow
Joined: 18 Dec 2010
Posts: 41
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 Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 6:01 pm Post subject: SEC -- Supreme Education Council |
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| Ask for and/or read information from others who have had experience with them about them. K-12 mostly but also controls Houston Community College/Community College of Qatar (HCC/CCQ). |
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idaho_potato
Joined: 09 Feb 2012
Posts: 57
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 1:42 pm Post subject: Women teaching boys? |
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Debate rages over women teaching boys in schools Wednesday, 15 February 2012 04:33
DOHA: A debate is raging in some sections of the Qatari community over whether male children be taught by female teachers in primary schools. Some parents say they are opposed to the practice of women teaching boys in primary schools as they fear the boys might begin speaking and behaving like females.
But a prominent Qatari woman psychologist says such fears are baseless as women teachers are akin to mothers for the boys and the latter feel loved and cared for just like they are in their homes. The school�s environment, with women teachers being around, is like a home�s.
Some parents say the formative years of a male child are the most important phase in his life so if he is taught by women in a primary school he could develop feminine habits, style of speech and behaviour. Abu Abul Rahaman , a parent, argues that the child at this stage tries to imitate everything. �My experience in the education field is 25 years. I view woman�s role in early education (teaching) is serious matter. Boys tend to ape female qualities such as the style of speech, reflexes and some feminine terms,� he told Al Sharq.
Male teacher in all stages of schooling are the best ones for teaching the boys, he said. Saweed Al Mannsly, agreeing with him said when there are no male teachers in a boy�s early schooling he can find it hard to develop manhood qualities. Psychologist Dr Moza Al Maliki, however, rejected the above views and said the fact is that the child at early stage is associated with his mother so a female teacher in school ensures the same environment and tenderness which the child gets at home.
The Peninsula
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One of the big educational changes was to put female teachers into the boys' elementary schools. Some parents blame this for their problem kids. They don't seem to understand that discipline begins at home. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 5:05 pm Post subject: Re: Women teaching boys? |
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| idaho_potato wrote: |
| They don't seem to understand that discipline begins at home. |
A point that also needs to be explained to way too many kids in the US and likely other English-speaking countries. 
This article makes it clear why they need to stop segregating the sexes. The comments could only be made by someone completely ignorant of sex and gender.
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idaho_potato
Joined: 09 Feb 2012
Posts: 57
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 10:22 am Post subject: |
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Teaching Qatar history must for all schools, clarifies SEC Thursday, 22 March 2012 0
DOHA: It is mandatory for all private schools in Qatar to teach their students Qatari history, the Supreme Education Council (SEC) has clarified.
All private schools with Qatari students on their rolls are also required to teach Arabic and Islamic studies, along with Qatari history, the SEC said in a statement.Qatari history has been made mandatory to give all the Qatari and non-Qatari students a basic knowledge of the country�s history, added the statement.The medium of instruction used in Arabic and Islamic history for Qatari students should be Arabic. As for Qatari history, the medium should be Arabic for Arabic speaking students and English for students speaking other languages.
If an international school has Muslim students and if they want to learn Islamic studies, the school must include it in their curriculum.All the basic learning resources used in teaching the three subjects should be approved by SEC�s Private Schools Office. If the school is using any secondary sources to teach these subjects, they should make sure that they don�t go against the culture and traditions of the country, said the SEC statement.
The schools are also required to provide an academic plan on how the three subjects will be taught in different grades and school terms.
All the teachers in the three subjects should be qualified in their respective areas. The school should submit the relevant certificates to the SEC as a proof.The SEC has also issued guidelines for the parents to follow up their children�s studies in the three subjects. Representatives from the Curriculum Affairs Department at SEC will conduct annual visits to check if the school complied with these regulations.The SEC has also explained the academic requirements for issuing license to a private school. To obtain a licence the school should follow a recognised national or international curriculum and should officially state that.If any school is planning to switch over to a new curriculum, it should inform the SEC and get approval.
The schools are not permitted to use any learning resources- basic or secondary- that go against the religious, moral and cultural traditions of the country.The SEC will monitor the performance of all the private schools, directly and indirectly. The direct monitoring will be through regular inspections, attending the classes and by checking the teaching plans, academic programmes and learning resources. There will also be a �remote� monitoring by closely following the public complaints and criticisms about each school.
THE PENINSULA |
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landcruzer
Joined: 15 Apr 2012
Posts: 26
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| Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 1:02 pm Post subject: IELTS for secondary school leavers |
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Science terms in English please, schools told Thursday, 03 May
DOHA: The Supreme Education Council has asked all Independent Schools to teach science and mathematics terminologies in English in primary classes, with Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and International English Language Testing System (IELTS) in Secondary School.
The office for independent schools at the Supreme Education Council in a circular has announced that science and mathematics terminologies should be taught in English from grade three. All Independent Schools should allocate two periods exclusively for teaching terminologies at each grade above three. Also non-Arabic speaking teachers qualified and experienced in teaching science and mathematics will be assigned to teach the subjects.
It has also instructed the schools to teach TOEFL and IELTS at Secondary Schools as a step in preparing students for higher education.
This decision has been taken in the back drop of all universities in the country require students to meet high level of competencies English, mathematics and Science for admission.
Qatar University (QU) in February this year unveiled the new structure of its Foundation Programme that does not require minimum scores in IELTS or TOEFL proficiency tests, though it requires a passing score of 70 percent in the Foundation Programme will allow students to enrol in their respective college or programme.
In order to register for appropriate courses in the Foundation English and maths programme, all students must first take the online Accuplacer exam which is used to place students in the appropriate English and Math levels. The Accuplacer exam is required for all students entering the Foundation Programme. Besides all courses at the Education City universities are taught in English.
A very high level of English is needed in order to read the required course material, write the required exams and papers, make presentations, and engage in discussion and debate both in and out of the classroom.
While there is no fixed minimum TOEFL or IELTS score for admission to these universities, the most competitive applicants will have scores of 100 or better on the Internet based TOEFL (600 or better on the paper-based TOEFL exam, 250 or better on the computer based TOEFL), and scores of 7.5 or better on the IELTS.
Thus, the Academic Bridge Program play a major role of coaching pre-university students in English, science and math courses, it focuses more on teaching the language terminology in English of these subjects and not so much on mastering new subject matter, since many Independent School students are unable to meet the high requirements of university education.
The Peninsula
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landcruzer
Joined: 15 Apr 2012
Posts: 26
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mesquite
Joined: 04 Jan 2009
Posts: 80
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| Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 6:44 pm Post subject: Japanese as the new foreign language |
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Japanese language to be introduced in Independent schools, says envoy
Plans are underway to introduce Japanese as a second language subject in all the Independent schools in Qatar by the next academic calendar starting in September, Japanese Ambassador Kenjiro Monji said yesterday.
He said in 2006, studies showed there were some 3mn speakers of the Japanese language across the world and that the figure rose to 3.7mn in 2009.
�We expect this figure to rapidly rise with the plans to introduce Japanese language as a language subject in Independent schools here. We have initiated plans to incorporate the Japanese language into the schools� existing time-table,� he said.�Students can be a bridge between many cultures and we are hoping that by the time we begin teaching Japanese language in Independent schools here, students can take the advantage to learn about Japanese culture, and hopefully the language will be revived in Qatar,� Monji said.
According to him, many Qatari children are already benefiting from the language studies being offered by the Qatar-Eastern Language Centre, which teaches Japanese language to students in Qatar.He said many students were also taking parts in the Japanese Speech Contest, whose new edition is coming up on June 16 at the Museum of Islamic Arts.�Last year, we had around 26 people participating in the speech contest and the winner was sponsored on a trip to Japan,� he said.He said the Japanese School in Doha was always willing to accept Qatari children as well as other nationalities as students.�Apart from this initiative, we are also setting up a lot of cultural events aimed at expanding our relations with Qatar and to further promote investments between both sides.�
Qatar and Japan recently marked the 40th anniversary of their bilateral and trade relations. A short documentary marking the anniversary was aired for journalists and guests during a press conference held at the Japanese embassy yesterday. Also, to further demonstrate the closeness of the Qatari and Japanese cultures, Monji said Japanese culture is being prominently showcased in Qatar every month at the Museum of Islamic Arts.
�During such events, we try to feature our cultural diversity by showcasing our musical instruments, arts and crafts. We are also going to be screening a number of Japanese films at the Doha Tribeca Films Festival this year,� he said.
He said Japan was going to be the event owner at the Doha International Book Fair.�As part of the cultural exchange programme, the Reach Out To Asia in February invited some 40 Japanese children from areas devastated by the earthquake to take part in its annual �Wheels n Heels� as well as to visit a number of interesting places in Qatar,� he said. The ambassador also said many Qataris are being sponsored by their companies to be trained and learn on-the-job skills in a number of companies in Japan. �Our aim is to see many people showing interest and having access to Japanese culture and I am hoping that many people here will be willing to study our language,� he said. |
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=504514&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16
Japanese comics are one way to get students to read. They love Manga. |
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mesquite
Joined: 04 Jan 2009
Posts: 80
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mesquite
Joined: 04 Jan 2009
Posts: 80
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 2:36 pm Post subject: Hard Times for Women Teachers |
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Hard times for Qatari women teachers at Independent Schools Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Sometimes we recall some beautiful memories saying that more than 95 percent of female teachers� jobs were nationalised. Qatari women teachers have proven extraordinary in teaching and are recognised for being qualified in this vital and sensitive field. They prefer teaching more than other jobs for many emotional and psychological reasons. But Qatari female teachers no longer prefer educational field due to the changes that recently took place in this fieldQatari female teachers are still reluctant to get involved in educational field since work in the Independent Schools has been launched for many reasons and factors as follows:
� Extension of the official working hours from 7:00 AM to 2:00 or 3:00 PM. For this reason they have to arrive exhausted and in bad mood late at home often after experiencing traffic congestion and diversions. So, how can she finish duties related to her work responsibility pertaining to family and children?
� Assigning additional duties to women teachers which they cannot afford including administrative work, shifts, supervision, preparation of programmes and activities and internal and external participation etc.
� Increasing the number and duration of classes : Before, the duration of a class was 45 minutes, now it is 55 minutes and in most cases it goes up to one hour, taking into account the change in patterns of student behaviour and being held accountable for any failure that occurs inthis regard.
� Increasing the students� numbers in the class (25 students in one class). Hence the woman teacher has to teach one hundred or more students and be in charge of homework correction, tests and treatment plans.
� Women managers (female operators) and some female coordinators and technicians abuse the nursing (breastfeeding) hours regulations according to their mood and not to the legal rights and duties. Sometimes, pregnant and nursing women are not allowed to work in schools.
� The female teacher is deprived of some necessary leaves (sick, maternity, travel for treatment), and is threatened with deduction of salary or referred to investigation besides other intimidating methods.
� Addition of grade six to the so-called model school. Many female teachers faced problems and bitter experiences by being insulted and embarrassed by male students who are characterised by physical and emotional qualities at this age.
� Challenges of preparing and bringing modern teaching means and responding to development demands even if at the expense of language, customs and Islamic rules.
� The female teachers are forced to attend seminars and training programmes with males under the pretext of getting the professional licence or course of standards. Men are also invited to enter the girls� schools under the pretext of exchanging experiences, conducting studies or evaluating performance and so on.
� Delay leaving the school and extension of the academic year until the hot summer months to complete the alleged schooling days, where the young students become victims of fatigue, heat and loss of concentration.
� Jokes on independent schools: Some children are denied to be registered in kindergartens and schools, though they are located in their geographical surroundings or even their homes and are sent to remote schools. Other students enroll in schools in areas where they don�t live. Registration lists have become a chronic seasonal problem.
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/q/511-rashid-fadhli/194473-hard-times-for-qatari-women-teachers-at-independent-schools.html
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mesquite
Joined: 04 Jan 2009
Posts: 80
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 2:46 pm Post subject: |
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Education in a new phase
There are lots of education-related issues that need to be discussed through the mass media as it influences public opinion on the one hand and on the other, it is beneficial to create awareness among decision-makers and educators or managers of schools and universities and those who are in charge of the educational process in general. Here we must discuss ten important points.
First, when we talk about �education in a new phase�, we must give priority to the process of Qatarisation, as all independent schools are lacking in this important factor. We should also pay attention to Qatarisation process in the university where few national professors are working, and reject favouritism in recruiting school teaching staff and the layoff of some resident teachers from the schools, because their salaries are high. This had affected the performance of some schools that are �looking for the license and not the interest for our children!�. We should focus on several other similar factors, including: providing financial support and professional and academic development for these schools without neglecting the technological aspect.
Second, it is important to activate the role of the College of Education of the University, as it had been before the leading factor in recruiting competent and qualified teachers in a right way to work in schools or at the university. Perhaps the question that is raised again and again today is: has the goal of raising the slogan �Education for a new phase� been achieved? Does this slogan keep pace with the applied curriculum or is it a mere slogan raised without proper application? Then, did we teach our students the proper critical thinking in classes as the most important issue that must be learned by our sons and daughters instead of only receiving the required information?
Third, many still believe that the government schools were the best in imposing the curriculum and teaching through the adoption of the success and failure system in exams, unlike the independent schools which are managed by a different approach and failure does not almost exist. This approach may not keep pace with the required change, although the current phase may be best in technology and modern techniques application to keep pace with the correct and required education. Here we may raise the following very important question: Why we did not apply the electronic bag system on our students rather than traditionalbag?
Fourth, did the application of the educational methods and outputs for many years coupled with the worsening imbalance of the management of independent schools achieve the required goals? The educational process had failed and is now full of uncertainty for some known and unknown reasons that require openness and transparency to detect the deficiency. We do not want the schools licence holders to monopolise the minds of students to keep pace with their attitudes and budgets.
This approach also shows us that some parents do not follow-up their children in schools and detecting the level of their studies because some schools do not interest in this important issue to protect the students from wrong behaviors, including the spread of some social and health diseases that are extraneous to the community of our schools. Do our students have to communicate with society not throughout the year and only in occasions such as drives on traffic awareness, human rights, care of children and women, students parliament, university study, instilling of citizenship culture and spread of the principles of freedom of expression in the society, and so on.
Fifth, there are a lot of failures and deficiencies in upgrading the educational process. This deficiency has shown that we are no longer able to adapt and keep pace with the global changes due to the poor output and planning, and that the independent schools are not really independent in the sense that the majority of teachers are not qualified. This is the bitter reality that is not discussed or referred to in the educational and media forums when we talk about educational outcomes in schools or in universities and it requires more discussion, particularly on education in primary schools because they are the most important stages that set up our children and equip them with the best skills in education and communication with the society. Primary school phase also direct students towards the proper rules of scientific research. There is a very serious issue that most of the primary schools for boys are equipped 100% by female administrators and teachers which will have passive effects on upbringing our children in the future.
Sixth: Why the outputs of the university are always linked to the performance of the independent schools where the policies differ from one school to another? For example, the private and foreign schools have policies and outcomes that are different from a lot of independent schools despite the fact that these schools are located on the land of Qatar and must be consistent with the educational process because they graduate some cadres to join universities in Qatar later, including the University of Qatar. For example, there are some fears of lack of mastering Arabic language or interesting in Islamic education. This issue will negatively influence our identity and our national and Islamic culture.
Seventh: The future of education in Qatar is still vague. This issue must be reviewed and the situation must be thoroughly studied. I personally believe that the problem does not lie in education but on people who are in charge of the education process for they set the policy and impose them on schools and universities. This is one of the biggest obstacles and challenges that we are facing today and may continue for upcoming years if we do not start doing change and reform from now.
Despite the positive outlook of the independent schools at their launch, but there are some negative aspects such as assigning some teachers to prepare curriculum, lack of experience and lack of specialization in the required field along with the lack of interest in the development and updating of the textbook consistently through the information and images. Let us take a living example in the book of �Social Science - Level VI� in Bayan Educational Complex for Girls an old picture was published on the cover of the book of His Highness the Emir, dating back to 1977, when he was the crown prince at that time. It means that the picture dated to more than 35 years old and the book issued in the year 2011-2012.
Eighth: A lot of Qatari teachers refrain to enroll in the field of teaching, whether in schools or at the university. This is one of the main obstacles that we face in our educational institutions. Perhaps lack of encouraging nationals to teach in schools or the university professors to work in teaching field did not allow them to play the complete and natural role to lead the community again!!.
Ninth: The Community College that was established recently needs some support and change to keep up with the new phase of education. We do not trust it now because it is still newly established and needs more time to judge its performance. Let�s wait for the results and then judge it then after reviewing its outputs.
Tenth: We must not hesitate to assign some qualified and dedicated national experts and academics who love their country to redevelop the education. Our current experience in the education requires confrontation and recognition of mistakes to achieve a qualified education free of courtesies. the people who manage the independent schools should be mature enough to manage them because they are decision-makers.
Finally, the supreme Education council must launch an educational satellite dedicated to our sons and daughters to serve their creativity develop their critical thinking and make them more aware than their colleagues in other countries in the region. Will we start this pioneer thought?
The question remains:
Did the independent schools raised the level of education in Qatar?, because the initiative of educational reform stemmed from the needs of the State of Qatar of qualified national staff that can carry the aspirations of the future and provide appropriate education for both citizens and residents to make us able to acquire many skills and then to maintain our identity, customs and traditions.
The Peninsula
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/dr-rabia-kuwari/189542-education-in-a-new-phase.html
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blastermill
Joined: 30 Aug 2011
Posts: 101
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| Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 5:10 pm Post subject: Wage disparity in SEC schools |
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Seven grades for Qatari teachers from next academic year Friday, 25 May 2012
DOHA: Monthly pay packages of Qatari teachers of Independent Schools will be more than three times those of their foreign counterparts, figures reported by Al Sharq suggest.Regulations proposed to be put into effect from the new academic year beginning September this year groups Qatari teachers into seven grades.Starting gross monthly emoluments of a teacher in the top grade would be more than QR52,000 and would go up to QR60,000 over a period of time.
Even a teacher in the last grade would be drawing almost QR25,000 a month as gross salary, which is much more than the monthly pay packet of a senior expatriate teacher (of Independent School). Local Arabic daily Al Arab had reported on Monday proposed salary slabs for non-Qatari teachers of Independent Schools whereby the average monthly emoluments of a senior teacher do not work out to be more than QR20,000. The starting basic salary of a Qatari teacher in the top grade has been proposed at QR40,000 with provisions for annual increment of between one and six percent of the basic based on performance.
There would be no salary increment for a teacher whose performance is not found to be satisfactory. Qatari teachers would additionally enjoy social security and would be entitled to post-retirement benefits, Al Sharq reported. Teachers traveling overseas for official work or as part of official delegations would be entitled to daily allowance of QR2,500, said the daily.
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/195602-seven-grades-for-qatari-teachers-from-next-academic-year.html
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/167001-independent-school-staff-get-hefty-raise.html
This will cause a lot of hard feelings. Should be equal pay for equal work.
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blastermill
Joined: 30 Aug 2011
Posts: 101
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| Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 1:17 pm Post subject: |
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http://dohanews.co/post/45981559474/are-qatars-independent-schools-broken-an-in-depth
Are Qatar�s independent schools broken? An in-depth report
By Aamena Ahmed
Noor Al-Dirhem still vividly remembers her first days as a teacher at Al-Aqsa Independent School. Standing in front of a crowded classroom, equipped with the latest technology, she presented a lesson from one of the most advanced British curriculums. But 20 pairs of eyes stared blankly at her. She felt useless, she said.
�I lost many things as a teacher � my independence in class, my independence in work, and especially using my own mind in teaching,� Al-Dirhem, a Qatari, added. �I just couldn�t live that way.�
For two years, the educator worked as a teacher at both preparatory and secondary independent schools, which are government-funded. But she said the jobs were an uphill, exhausting battle because students wouldn�t listen, coordinators wouldn�t cooperate and the school system was a mess.Al-Dirhem quit her job as a teacher last year and now works for theSupreme Education Council as an education specialist for private schools.Across Qatar, many teachers like her have given up on independent schools.
Shortage of qualified teachers
The result: a huge shortage of qualified educators, and the subsequent hiring inexperienced teachers.
�At the end of the day, schools need teachers in those classrooms,� said Patricia Kerr, an assistant professor of educational sciences at Qatar University who also works closely with teachers in training workshops.
�They come into the classroom without the education or training,� she said. �Some have never taught before in any way, shape or form.�One of the second-grade science classes at an independent school in Dukhan doesn�t have a teacher. The students occupy their seats and loud chatter fills the classrooms, but the teacher�s desk remains empty. A school coordinator enters the class and starts teaching the day�s lesson, but the clamor continues.�At some point, we have to start appointing teachers that don�t meet the standards,� said Fatma Becetti, the academic vice principal at the school, which she asked not be named. �We don�t have another choice.�
Corporal punishment
Becetti also mentioned that many teachers at independent schools come from other nations where disciplining students may come in the form of physical punishment, which is not acceptable in Qatar.�We have to start from scratch and teach them everything � what to say, what not to say to students, how to behave with parents,� Becetti said. �These things should be common sense, but we end up having to teach them this stuff.�
After the Supreme Education Council implemented major educational reforms in 2008, teachers were expected to do things they had never done before. For the first time, they were expected to write lesson plans and clearly identify class objectives, Kerr said.
As a doctorate degree-holding and experienced Indian teacher at Al-Bayan Independent School, Kamini Kohli has observed many new teachers over the past seven years.
�When I interact with certain teachers, it becomes apparent many don�t know what they are doing,� said Kohli, a 12th-grade chemistry teacher at the school. �That�s the reality.�
She also disagrees with the recent switch to fixed salaries for all teachers. In the latest report on schools in Qatar released by the Supreme Education Council last year, 71 percent of teachers indicated they were dissatisfied with their monthly salary.
�This is totally illogical,� Kohli said. �It doesn�t give an incentive for educated and experienced teachers to continue working.�
Financial concerns
Karam Al-Qassab, an Iraqi pediatric consultant and mother of four children, said only her eldest daughter graduated from an independent school here. The rest of the kids are enrolled in private schools.
�I�ve seen the homework my eldest daughter used to receive (at Al-Bayan Independent School) and the one my younger daughter now receives at Qatar International School,� Al-Qassab said. �There is a huge difference in the material that is covered and the way it is taught. It�s much deeper, wider and demands higher standards.�
For most families, the ultimate decision of which school to send their child to boils down to finances, Al-Qassab added.
�If all parents could afford to send their kids to good private schools, independent schools would have a hard time surviving,� she said.
According to a 2012 report conducted by the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute at Qatar University, nearly 50 percent of students at independent schools depend on tutors. Students are passing exam after exam and receiving diplomas, but they are not actually learning or trying to understand the material, Al-Dirhem said.
�Respect from students is completely gone,� Al-Dirhem said. �Not just respect towards the teacher, but also respect for acquiring knowledge.�
Al-Dirhem believes that teaching is a beautiful thing to do, but people have diminished that idea. Qatar doesn�t need big fancy schools or the latest equipment in classrooms. It just needs good teachers who are appreciated for the work they do, she said.
http://dohanews.co/post/45981559474/are-qatars-independent-schools-broken-an-in-depth#ixzz2PZL5sLpL
SEC mandates after-school programs for struggling students, but will they work?
In response to the widespread usage of private tutors in Qatar, the Supreme Education Council has mandated that independent schools hold special �enrichment� sessions for struggling students.The goal is to establish a program by next semester that offers classes to help students prepare for various tests and qualifying exams for college admission, a circular on the SEC�s website states.
The SEC said it is organizing this option to help parents avoid the prohibitive costs of employing a private tutor, and curb the problem of student absenteeism due to over-reliance on these tutors. But to devise these extra programs, schools will need to hire more experienced teachers and supervisors, a daunting task for many schools already struggling to meet the basic standards.
Lacking
According to a 2012 report conducted by the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute at Qatar University, nearly 50 percent of students at independent schools depend on tutors. That�s in large part because of there is a shortage of qualified teachers in the independent school system, educators assert.�At some point, we have to start appointing teachers that don�t meet the standards,� said Fatma Becetti, the academic vice principal at an independent school in Dukhan, said in a recent article about school woes. �We don�t have another choice.�
http://dohanews.co/post/46147550925/sec-mandates-after-school-programs-for-struggling#ixzz2PZcV6d7A
____________________________
http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/230483-sec-plans-campaign-against-sweka-use.html
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battleshipb_b
Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 189
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| Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 12:21 pm Post subject: Teaching Qualifications for SEC schools |
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http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/237399-rules-relaxed-for-qataris-to-teach-at-independent-schools.html
DOHA: Qataris can now take up teaching jobs in Independent schools even if they don�t have previous experience in the profession. They have also been exempted from the requirements related to the minimum and maximum age that apply to teachers from other nationalities. The relaxation in the rules is intended to attract more citizens to teaching profession as part of Qatar�s job nationalisation policy, a local Arabic daily reported yesterday. mThe Supreme Education Council (SEC) has issued a statement, elaborating the new strategy, the daily said.
The SEC, in collaboration with Qatar University, has developed a special programme to train citizens for teaching jobs. The schools can appoint fresh Qatari graduates as teachers who will then be trained under the new programme. If qualified Qatari teachers are not available in certain specialisations, the schools are allowed to directly recruit teachers from abroad. A recruitment programme has been developed to hire qualified teachers from countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria and Oman, said the daily. Independent school operators will visit these countries to find the most qualified hands to raise the quality and standards of education in the country.
The SEC last year announced a major hike in the salaries of Qatari Independent school teachers to attract more citizens to the profession. Teaching is still being considered a relatively low-paid profession in Qatar, especially when it comes to private schools.
The Peninsula |
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battleshipb_b
Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 189
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| Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 12:21 pm Post subject: |
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Technology won�t take over teachers� job, say debaters
Saturday, 08 June 2013
MANCHESTER: Qatari students joined their peers, policy-makers and educators in the United Kingdom on Tuesday for a provocative debate and discussion on the future of education. Qatar UK 2013, in conjunction with the British Council�s Going Global conference for leaders of higher education and Qatar Foundation�s World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), convened leading experts at the University of Salford for a formal debate asking, �Will the teaching profession as we know it become obsolete?� This event was one of many in an active year for Qatar and for the UK as both nations deepen educational ties and forge lasting partnerships for the future.
The debate was co-hosted by Martin Davidson CMG, Chief Executive, British Council and Stavros Yiannouka, CEO of WISE, a major initiative of the Qatar Foundation. On the premise that rapid technological innovation creates new methods of education and expands access to knowledge, three speakers supported the idea that teaching would be rendered obsolete in the future and three opposed it. Notably, Georgetown University Qatar student Bilal Shakir was among those opposing the idea that technology will replace teaching as a profession. Shakir presented a clear and concise case that technology should augment the learning process. Maintaining that problems with current education systems stem from the systems themselves and not with teachers, Shakir said those who argue for replacing teachers with technology mistake the prognosis for the diagnosis. �We need to find creative ways to fix the teaching system and invest in teachers, not make teaching obsolete,� argued Bilal Shakir, citing the work across South Asia of the N.G.O. BRAC. �Technology can and should augment learning � but it must never replace teachers,� he added. Professor Martin Hall, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Salford, joined Shakir in supporting the value of traditional teaching. Proponents of the idea that technology will eventually replace teachers in the classroom pointed to the power of individual students in determining educational outcomes and rising costs of traditional education compared to those of emerging education technologies.
Qatari students studying at the University of Leeds, University of Huddersfield, University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK joined the wider student community in the discussion and were given the opportunity, along with policy-makers, educators and other members of the community present, to vote on the outcome of the formal debate. After a passionate hour-long debate, the audience voted against the motion � but by a very narrow margin.
Dignitaries present included Mohammed Al Kaabi, Cultural Attach� at the Embassy of Qatar in London. Of the debate, Mohammed Al Kaabi said: �Like Qatar UK 2013 Year of Culture, this debate celebrates and encourages the exchange of culture and ideas. There are over 1,500 Qatari young people studying at Universities across the UK, this event has provided them with the opportunity to have their voice heard on the future of education. I am also pleased to see WISE operating in the international arena and collaborating with the UK in this way � just one example of where the Year of Culture is helping to establish long-lasting relationships between the two countries.� Martin Davidson CMG, Chief Executive of the British Council said, �Debates such as this are all about exploring ideas, which in essence is what Qatar UK 2013 is all about. The Year is creating a dialogue between the two countries in areas such as arts, education, science and language and aims to increase cultural understanding between the two nations. The year provides a catalyst for UK partnerships with Qatari organisations such as WISE, which I hope will continue long after the Year has ended.�
The Peninsula
http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/240449-technology-won%E2%80%99t-take-over-teachers%E2%80%99-job-say-debaters.html |
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battleshipb_b
Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 189
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| Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 12:22 pm Post subject: Rewarding Teachers |
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Reward scheme to attract quality teachers: report
In order to attract experienced educational staff to the country, the Qatari government needs to establish a clear reward programme, linked to professional development for teachers, a report on Qatar by Collier International has said. �With the existing supply unable to meet an increasing demand, and high potential for niche markets, Qatar offers a number of opportunities for educational operators in an environment which provides high returns and vast potential for growth,� the report said, adding that given the market fundamentals, it is expected that the primary key success factor for any educational development in the existing market is the presence of a branded regional and international operator.
The education sector in Qatar has experienced a period of reforms since the 1990s.
Attracting good teachers to Qatar is relatively difficult compared to other parts of the GCC, said the report, which suggested an aggressively and in-time recruitment policy be put in place to ensure the hiring of quality teachers. �Compared to the market demand, the education indicators do not reflect the income level enjoyed by the majority of the population in the country, thus requiring heavy investment over the medium to long term,� the report said. However, the report stated that despite increased budget allocations, education spending in term of total gross domestic product (GDP) in Qatar continues to remain behind many developed markets.
Education spending in Qatar (3.3% of GDP) is almost half compared to what is allocated in markets such as South Africa (6% GDP), Netherlands (5.9% GDP) and the United Kingdom (5.6%). According to the report, an increasing population base, due to increased economic activities as a result of increased income growth and the World Cup, together with the proposed introduction of compulsory secondary education, the education sector in Qatar is set to grow in the short to medium term. �Even though the government has undertaken some active measures to meet the demand for education staff, it remains a challenge for the education sector to deliver a student to teacher ratio that meets international standard,� the report said.
Qatar, having one of the highest per capita income in world, it is only likely that the volume of expatriates migrating to Qatar will increase. The demographics will have a predisposition to be selective in regards to the quality of education provided to the children. During the academic year 2010/11, 60% of the total student population was dominated by non-Qataris.
Further analysis by school type revealed that while Independent schools are primarily made up of Qatari nationals, they represent less than 20% of total student population in private schools. Also, the majority of staff employed within the private education sector in Qatar is mainly consisting of non-Qatari females. Qatar�s optimistic plans to invest over 18% of the governmental spending in education, reflects an increased appreciation of the value and commitment towards the sector. The under-supplied market along with attractive returns offered by the education sector in the private sector in Qatar, highlights significant potential for foreign investors to fill the supply gap, the report suggested.
http://www.gulf-times.com/qatar/178/details/355543/reward-scheme-to-attract-quality-teachers%3a-report |
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