Education ‘industry’
Dear Sir,
Private schools, it seems, have become a flourishing cottage industry in Qatar. The “industry” is seeking to tap the vast opportunity as the country is in dire need of more schools to meet the needs of a rapidly growing expatriate population.
Qatar’s education system is really strained now and supply cannot meet the demand.
The term cottage industry signifies a small and often informally-organised sector which is run by groups or individuals in a small space with limited equipment and preparations. Cottage industries have actually proven to be very successful in producing simple utility items and in generating income for those who do not have the means to start large businesses.
But the rules of the cottage industry cannot be applied to the education sector which doesn’t produce any utility items; schools are established to shape the minds of our future generations and to prepare them to be self-reliant and productive participants in society.
Schools which are being established with limited resources, space and expertise can do more harm than good.
My request to the regulatory authorities is to exercise extreme caution in monitoring the quality of services provided by the booming education sector. There should be more stringent policies in place to ensure that all the academic staff and management have the right credentials to ensure the kind of education which prepares our children to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
T K Ali
(e-mail address supplied)
A great initiative
Dear Sir,
The Mangalyaan Tech Fest 2015 organised by the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC), was a great initiative to promote children’s interest in science. The festival was an inter-school competition for Indian schools in Qatar.
The festival was held in an exemplary way and people and institutions behind it deserve full credit for that.
I especially appreciate the efforts of the Birla Public School management for making the event a great success.
As science is a subject of crucial importance and as it is evolving daily, it needs regular updates. So I request Gulf Times to print more science-related news in the paper and urge forums and organisations in Qatar to hold science-related events for women in the country.
Mrs Zarna Bhatt
(e-mail address supplied)