Ministry to allow some private schools to work in two shifts from next academic year

There had been reports earlier that Qatar’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education was studying a proposal to allow some schools to function in two shifts from the new academic year onwards.

Now, there is confirmation that the Ministry will indeed allow some private schools, especially community ones, to run in two sessions, reported The Peninsula.

The revolutionary move is being introduced for schools to accommodate more students and hence solve the issue of lack of school seats for children in the country.

Hamad Al Ghali, Director of Licensing of Private Schools at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, said the two-shift (morning and evening) system would be implemented under certain conditions.

The most important among them is that the fees for evening shift should be equal to or less than that of the morning shift, reported Qatar Tribune.

With Qatar becoming an attractive job destination, there had been an acute shortage of school seats in many community educational institutions.

The new policy, which is being followed in many countries, is expected to address the issue in a very effective way.

The schedule of evening shifts should be submitted to the ministry to ensure its compliance with the approved teaching days (minimum of 180 school days).

The system will be available only for primary, preparatory and secondary levels as no country applies this system to the kindergarten stage.

Schools wishing to work on the two-shift system will be required to register at least 80% of students from the same community and apply for a license from the administration. 

The school also need to match the curricula with the educational system in force in the country of origin. Schools with a capacity of more than 50% of students for one shift will be eligible.

Schools teaching Indian and Pakistani curricula and schools of Tunisian, Egyptian and Filipino communities are currently being considered for the two-shift system.

The schools must have at least 50% more teachers for the evening shift, and the administration could be the same in both shifts.

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