A child’s journey to school can begin with more than a backpack and a timetable. It can start with a conversation, a reassuring hand and the quiet confidence that comes from knowing someone cares.
That is the message behind “Walk Your Kids to School” (“Wassel Eyalak”), a new campaign launched by the Ministry of Social Development and Family (MoSDF) ahead of the academic year, urging parents to turn an everyday routine into an opportunity to strengthen family bonds.
Part of the ministry’s “Back to School” activities, the initiative encourages mothers and fathers to accompany their children to school and use that time to listen, talk and understand what is happening in their lives.
The idea is simple: a few uninterrupted minutes together can help children feel safer, more confident and better prepared for the challenges of the classroom.
By making the journey a shared experience, the campaign aims to deepen parental involvement and reinforce the family’s role as a child’s first and most important source of emotional and educational support.
MoSDF Director of Public Relations Hamad Jarhab said the initiative sought to transform a routine daily practice into an educational opportunity with an impact extending well beyond the school gates.
A meaningful family presence, he explained, does not depend on special occasions or long stretches of time. It can be built through small, consistent actions that nurture a child’s sense of safety, stability and belonging.
Maryam Abdullah al-Mohannadi, director of the Public Relations and Communication Department at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), said the partnership between families and schools begins before a pupil enters the classroom.
Supporting children, she stressed, involves more than monitoring grades. It also means listening to their concerns, sharing the details of their school day and safeguarding their emotional and social well-being.
Qatar Foundation (QF) Communication Department Director Noor Saleh al-Mohannadi said the foundation would use its platforms, awareness centres and programmes to carry the campaign’s message to a wider audience.
She said accompanying children to school could become a daily space for meaningful conversation, closer connections and positive memories while strengthening their sense of trust and security.
The campaign brings together MoSDF, MoEHE, the Government Communications Office, QF, the Protection and Social Rehabilitation Centre “Aman”, the Family Consulting Centre “Wifaq” and the Centre for Parenting “Kanaf” in a joint effort to place families at the heart of a successful school year.