Hamad Al Ghali, Director of Private Schools Licensing Department
Doha: Private Schools Licensing Department at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education has received 38 applications for licenses to operate new private schools and kindergartens for the academic year 2021-22.
“The number of applications reached 38 by 2pm on December 31, 2020, the last day of the registration,” said Director of Private Schools Licensing Department at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Hamad Al Ghali.
Speaking to a Qatar TV programme, Al Ghali said that the number of applications increased significantly ahead of the deadline as it was recorded only 17 applications last week.
“The Ministry of Education and Higher Education had started receiving applications for licensing and operating new private schools and kindergartens for the academic year 2021-22, from November 1, 2020 until December 31,” said Al Ghali.
The 38 applications include 21 requests seeking licenses for operating private kindergartens and schools of British curriculum, 11 applications for American curriculum schools, three requests for Indian curriculum schools, two applications for schools under Qatar national standard and one request for a Turkish curriculum school.
The Director of Private Schools Licensing Department said that at present a total of 337 private kindergartens and schools are operating in the country. He said that private schools and kindergartens enrolled 200,782 students including 40,650 Qatari students.
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education issues licenses for private schools and pre-schools according to the provisions of Law No. 23 of 2015, according the website of the Ministry.
The Ministry had also issued detailed bylaws outlining the setup requirements for potential private school operators. Investors can apply for private school licences in November and December of each year through the school registration portal. The Ministry requires all private schools to teach in their curricula Arabic language, Islamic studies and Qatari history.
There are international schools such as the American, British, French, and German schools; community schools serving different nationalities; and Qatari schools such as the Qatar Academia Arabic schools.
Once licensed, the Ministry monitors private schools to ensure they are complying with the academic terms of their license and that their educational plans are met.
