The move will apply to private schools and kindergartens across Qatar
19 May 2021
| Last updated on 20 May 2021Arabic language, Islamic education, and Qatari history will become compulsory subjects in private schools and pre-schools (kindergarten and preparatory) across Qatar, announced the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE).
The new academic policy is an update of the same policy circulated for the 2019-2020 school year, with the Private Schools Affaires Department in the Private Education Affairs Sector of the Ministry highlighting the following:
- The necessity of teaching Arabic language and Islamic education subjects starting from kindergarten and preparatory in all Qatar private schools.
- The necessity of teaching the three compulsory subjects in all educational curricula and systems, in accordance with the sequence of classes.
- Schools' commitment to the terms and conditions of equivalency for grades 10, 11 and 12, in accordance with Ministerial Resolution No. (11) for the year 2021.
- The commitment of private schools to evaluate the compulsory subjects for all grades, from grades one through 12, according to the target groups in all educational curricula and systems.
The inclusion of the Arabic language, Islamic education, and Qatari history as compulsory subjects are part of the country's mission to promote national identity and values among private school students.
This is the first time private learning institutions will be mandatorily required to include them in the curricula from pre-schools through senior levels.
Schools will have meetings and forms with the Ministry to help guide and implement the subjects, opening the floor to consultations, questions or information with private schools' educators.
In a 2021 study from the Global Education Quality Index, Qatar ranked no. 1 among Arab countries for quality of education, and placed fourth worldwide.
The United Arab Emirates placed second in the Arab world, and ranked 10th globally.