Qatar is pressing ahead with efforts to reshape its school curricula, equipping students with future-ready skills while anchoring them firmly in national identity and Islamic values, said Director of the Curriculum and Learning Resources Department Sara Issa al-Sharim.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA) ahead of the new academic year, al-Sharim said five subjects were developed during 2025-2026: history and geography for Grade 11, French and science for Grade 10, and information technology. In total, 612 coordinators and teachers were trained on the new content. The department also oversees 18 compulsory and elective subjects and carried out 106 field visits to monitor implementation across schools.
She explained that curriculum development follows a continuous, evidence-based approach shaped by national and global trends, learner needs, and outcomes data, translated into standards and content that remain practical and measurable. The process draws on ongoing assessment and both local and international expertise, ensuring curricula evolve without losing sight of Qatar's identity and social context.
The national curriculum currently serves 154,564 students in government schools, from kindergarten to Grade 12, including adult learners, alongside 193,500 private school students who study Arabic, Islamic studies and Qatar history.
Al-Sharim said the goal is to produce well-rounded learners equipped for lifelong learning and adaptability, combining strong academics with Islamic values and national identity, while building critical thinking, creativity, communication and problem-solving skills. She noted that Qatar's curricula have shifted in recent years from pure knowledge acquisition toward real-world application, with greater emphasis on digital competencies, innovation and diversified educational pathways aligned with labour-market needs — part of Qatar National Vision 2030's push for a skilled, knowledge-based economy. The department publishes 535 textbooks a year, with a print run exceeding 4.4mn copies.
On the biggest challenge facing curriculum planners, al-Sharim said it is not the pace of updating content but the accelerating pace of change in the world itself — shifting skills, jobs and technologies that make it difficult to design curricula around fixed predictions of the future job market. The response, she said, is to build adaptability: a strong knowledge foundation paired with core skills in analysis, self-learning, technology use, teamwork and problem-solving.
On national identity, al-Sharim said curricula are designed to prepare a generation proud of its Islamic faith, Arab identity and Qatari heritage, alongside 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, digital literacy, research and self-learning. Through projects, real-life scenarios and inquiry-based learning, students are trained to analyse information and make decisions. The curriculum also covers life skills including financial and family literacy, entrepreneurship and volunteering.
Digital skills are introduced progressively — from basic technology use through programming and algorithms to artificial intelligence, robotics and cybersecurity — with strong emphasis on safe, responsible and verified technology use.
Among the department's key strategic projects is the General Framework for Qatar's National Curriculum, which defines learner attributes as a benchmark for future curriculum development. Al-Sharim said this includes strengthening national identity, Islamic values, the status of the Holy Qur'an and Arabic, while expanding access to international languages such as French, German and Japanese, with Spanish and Chinese to follow.
The Ministry is also expanding future-facing skills — coding, AI, scientific research, STEM and applied learning — alongside critical thinking and independent learning. Life-oriented learning remains a priority too, covering financial literacy, entrepreneurship, career pathways, home economics and family culture, along with health, nutrition, sustainability and environmental awareness.
Al-Sharim added that the Ministry is committed to a more flexible, inclusive learning environment that accommodates differing abilities and interests through self-learning resources that support well-being.
She concluded that the Ministry's ultimate goal is a learner proud of their identity and values, equipped with knowledge and future skills, and prepared not for a single job but for a lifetime of adaptability, opportunity-creation, and contribution to family, community and nation. (QNA)