Free educational vouchers to Qataris

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All I can say is I'd be really worried if I was a parent with a child on the waiting list for these schools, like ASD or MES Indian.

Who do you think they are going to give first preference to - my child or a National child?

Dr.Hamda Hassan Alsulaiti, Director, Evaluation Institute of SEC have a long column in Raya arabic newspaper saying basically that there should be no worry about cost hikes as it requires her office approval anyways. She also stated that the schools approved for the new voucher system will be ready to accept the new students next academic year, and she also expected that the number of approved schools will increase.

She failed however to recognize that there is no capacity in any of those schools, and making them approved does not address the issue. She need to attract more schools in order to create an effective competition on quality and cost. Without such competition, I do not see a reason for any of the currently overfilled schools to perform better.

And another little bonbon:

"I think the biggest factor is financial. In the US a graduate programme would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, in Germany it doesn't cost anything. And it doesn't cost more for foreign students than it does for German students."

As you see, it's unfair to support only citizens.

stealth:

"Among the attractions for international students is the increasing availability in Germany of courses taught entirely in English, so much so that students can complete degrees without ever having to speak German."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12610268

@stealth, IMHO i think it's hard to taught science except in english..how much more in arabic..just a thought..

in germany/france is science taught in english or in their own language. just a doubt

SEC failed miserably with the so called independent schools experiment, mainly for lack of qualified teachers. They cannot improve Qatari teachers and they cannot fire them, hence they gave up on those schools, and ended outsourcing the education to private schools. By the way, I do not think the word independent is suitable anymore.

I saw the news today, but I thought it was a joke. The schools are full, how the voucher system is going to increase capacity is beyond imagination.

I have to disagree. It starts at home. Parents who instil the importance of education they do well or average in school. Parents who do their children doesn't take an interest. I know it is easy for people just to blame teachers and schools. In some cases it is the teacher. Because I've worked with some crazy teachers in the past who have done nothing with their students. But parents need to raise their kids better. This just doesn't apply to Qatari parents but all parents.

Parents nowadays are very permissive with their kids. When the child fails people want to automatically blame the teacher. Parents to make the kid accountable for the F they got in school.

What they actually mean is, "We spent a fortune on public schools but they aren't worth anything so take this voucher and go study in a private school."

And fluffy123 "Better teachers make better students" so if you want to see improvement in your students then a bit of introspection won't do any harm.

The schools or curriculum is not so much a problem as it with the culture and parents and students attitude towards education in generally. I work in a school where and most of the parents don't care what goes on. They want their kids to have top marks but never do homework or want show up for parent teacher meetings.

Most of the student do not take it seriously.

The parents don't want their kids to have any form of consqences if their child fails . And they blame the teacher all the time if the child fails with not accepting the reality their child never does any work. And their kids behavior is just terrible which hinders the learning process even further.

Qatari children who come from more wealthy families and well known suprisly seemed to the ones who actually do the work required in school and do extremely well . The rest don't give a crap.

Of course there are the ones who do make their kids understand the seriousness of education. Some of my brightness students were Qatari.

But honestly I believe this attitude will change in the next 20 years. I found the students of mine that have mothers that are in their 20's tend to have better attitude.

How is it that even with the 60% salary increase, even Nationals can't afford to send their kids to good schools without state assistance?

LP, they might bring with them an english translator to translate everything.sec is serious about securing the education for the qatari children but first it will not be made possible if the parents always disagrees when new system is introduced..

TFS ...................good initiative from qatar government:)

yes i'm back because i'm not that busy nowadays..how are u too?

Spot on chairboy, i agree, its only going to put more money in pockets of school owners and nothing else.

Yeah, just wait until the SEC demands that these private schools hold 50% of their slots for Qataris!

Mandi

Nice to see Shisha back on QL..:)

It's only funny when those graduates apply for an International Cambridge examination and find out that it is in English! They are basically fukced by their own authorities.

LP, i will not disagree further if they want to teach it in Arabic to simplify for the students..i think the parents should be more supportive to SEC's decision that given Science is one of the major subjects, it must and should be taught and written in English..after all the books here came from the best publishers in the world and lenghty discussion happened first before it will land on the SEC's book recommended list for the independent schools..

It's true, shisha. I had a course for science teachers from Independent schools lately. I was supposed to teach them 'Scientific English'. In the process of the course they told me that they would teach science in Arabic again - after the SEC had issued a decree that scienes had to be taught in English. Protests from the students and parents made the SEC change their mind! I think, it's called "democracy"!

true..in addition to that, few months back i was informed by one of the Principal that the books in Math and Science will be written in Arabic..as of now, no news yet if it's confirmed or not..yet i'm wondering how will it work..

We have a similar problem. If we hire only "native" instructors, our cost would double! The authorities have not yet understood that quality is a matter of money!!

LP, not only that. They should hire qualified teachers that can converse both in Arabic and English.I witnessed how some teachers in independent schools lacks even in communication skills..there are instances that even an English Teacher can't converse well in English.i'm wondering how they will teach the students well if they themselves can't speak in English.

as per books and educational resources, i can attest that they are using the best of the best materials which came from UK..and their curriculum is per SEC's mandate.

They should increase the salaries for qualified teachers. Very simple. What they get now for 8 - 12 thousand Riyals are not really teachers by profession!

Good for them, So that the Qatari young generation won't go for Sugar daddy/mummy!

if dey agree to ur advise den u and wont be here:(

All to often here the sensible and prctical long term solution is just too damn much trouble and the expedient solution (in this case vouchers) is the option of choice. Shisha is in my opinion correct - in the UK, OFSTED is all about improving the standard of individual schools - the emphasis here SHOULD have been on improvement NOT on expediency.

TFS

Instead of giving free vouchers to Qatari students they should have concentrated on improving the standards of public school.

very nice move!!

SEC surely realizes that it's the knowledge (generally obtained through education) which will keep them ahead & consistent with rest of the world in future not the money.

This is a messy initiative and I smell the heady aroma of opportunism from the money grabbing International schools who are already charging WAY WAY to much for their service.

There are also implications for students already in private schools; with the inclusion of slower less able national students and the resultant slowing down in the pace and progress of the expat students.

Dont see to many winners in this initiatve except of course the Schools.

SEC have already insisted on ditchng part of the curriculum in favour of inclusion of Qatari culture and history - anything else before the term starts??

PP, unfortunately Vouchers can't be redeemed for cash, just like on QL, Points can't be redeemed for cash.. :(

are those vouchers transferable ...:P

Its the Job of SEC to make sure that Private Schools don't raise their School Fees...

Now back to the Main Topic, IMOP its a Good Move by SEC at least this way it would do Good to the Qatari Students...