There are a total of 679 private educational institutions in Qatar, which had more than 215,000 students during the 2021-2022 academic year, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE).
These institutions include 334 private schools and kindergartens, 169 educational and training centres and 176 nurseries.The ministry's Private Schools Licensing Department is responsible for granting and renewing the licences necessary for these institutions, which follow as many as 25 types of curricula.
There are private schools in Qatar that follow national standards, in addition to those that adopt different curricula such as American, British, French and German.
One of the tasks of the ministry’s Private Schools Affairs Department is to supervise private schools and ensure their compliance with the academic requirements after licensing and fulfilling their educational plans, in addition to monitoring teachers' use of the latest educational methods. In addition, all private schools are obligated to teach Arabic, Islamic education and Qatari history according to the curriculum adopted by the MoEHE.
The educational and training centres provide services in fields including administrative training, foreign language education, educational training and computer education. Some of them function as centres for people with special needs as well as for arts.
The MoEHE sets the conditions and standards based on the relevant laws and decisions for educational and training centres, in order to ensure that the services they provide are of a high quality.
The department of educational service centres at the MoEHE is responsible for granting and renewing the licences for these institutions, follow up their work and ensure their compliance with the law and terms of licences.
The department receives dozens of requests annually to open educational centres. When all the requirements and conditions are met, a licence is given after the centre is inspected and the fee payment procedures are completed. The conditions include the requirements of the ministries of Interior, Public Health, and Commerce and Industry, among others.
Nurseries provide educational and pedagogical services to children from the age of two months to four years, before they join schools. The ministry's Private Education Affairs Sector, through the competent department, is currently in charge of implementing the State's policies in organising nurseries in accordance with the relevant legislation while supervising them to ensure their compliance.
The country is witnessing a continuous increase in the demand for private educational services, whether from citizens or residents. The ministry said it is keen to support investors in the private education sector by providing various types of support, guidance and communication, in addition to explaining all requirements and offering the necessary consultation and official correspondence with the authorities concerned, so that the investors can provide educational services of a high quality that the Qatari community deserves.
The government wants investors to have a central role in the development of the education sector, especially since the establishment of private schools, vocational, educational and training centres, and new nurseries is one of the country's most important priorities to maintain competitiveness and diversity.
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