The new academic calendar by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education ( MoEHE) has helped in achieving a clear balance among all the stakeholders, according to an expert from Qatar Foundation (QF).
“National ministries worldwide struggle to design academic calendars that can balance the needs of all key stakeholders in their education communities: vacation time for staff and student wellbeing, professional development time for ongoing staff development, relevant alignment with global systems and local national holidays and more. Clearly the MoEHE is dedicated to achieving that balance in their calendar planning,” said Edward Lawless, executive director of Education Development Institute, QF.
The official observed that proactive planning is essential for the strategic success of any organisation and long-term planning is especially important. He explained: "This is what the new calendar aims to achieve. It is the same for QF Pre-University Education’s efforts to equip young people with the knowledge, confidence, and skills to excel. Our schools are uniquely integrated into an array of entities and centres that serve Qatar’s needs for education, research, and community development. Our students regularly interact with the surrounding entities to enhance their learning experience and give them a sense of the real world.”
He noted that QF and MoEHE are aligned on several initiatives – including teacher training and both entities are currently collaborating to identify common professional development needs and opportunities.
“It is particularly satisfying to see the MoEHE’s commitment to staff training and professional development opportunities in their calendar planning. When schools allocate sufficient time for relevant professional development, they demonstrate their duty of care to improved student outcomes and teacher wellbeing,” he added.
Edward Lawless
