Abeer Al Khalifa, President of Pre-University Education, Qatar Foundation; and other officials at the Pre-University Education Forum.
Doha: Qatar Foundation announced the establishment of a new department dedicated to Special Schools and Special Educational Needs Services at its recently held Pre-University Education Forum, which takes place annually and is designed to welcome teachers and faculty members to the new academic year.
Alongside the announcement, the forum also showcased achievements within Pre-University Education (PUE) over the last 12 months, recognising individuals for their continuous hard work, and shed light on Qatar Foundation’s (QF) strategic goals and priorities.
Abeer Al Khalifa, President of PUE, QF, opened the PUE Forum, saying: “I would like to congratulate you all on the successful start of the academic year 2022/23, as well as thank you for your dedication to the student community. I am confident that with your renewed support, we will continue together on this path of development and growth and help bring about positive change for QF’s schools.”
Al Khalifa also praised the teachers and their professionalism in dealing with the challenges that they have faced over the last few years. “Your support for our schools, in addition to pursuing innovative initiatives, strategies, and appropriate solutions, have had a great impact in ensuring the academic, psychological, and physical balance of our students during the pandemic.
“We look forward to this upcoming year, whereby we are able to continue helping students adapt to changes while building balanced personalities. And this, of course, can only be done through the consolidation of national values and identity.”
Al Khalifa also shed light on the new Special Schools and Special Educational Needs Services, which will fall under PUE and be led by Mark Hughes as Executive Director. The department will be offered as an extension of QF’s services to better serve young people with academic challenges.
Al Khalifa concluded, saying: “As we continue to develop and innovate in various fields, you will all be important contributors to achieving the vision of PUE, of ‘Leading Learning’, which guides our current programs and future aspirations.”
Daniel Harrison, Executive Director, QF Schools Operations, also spoke at the forum. “Teaching is a demanding profession,” he said. “And as the year begins, I would like to take a moment to appreciate your efforts over the past 12 months.”
Speaking about the upcoming FIFA World Cup, Harrison emphasised the importance of the next few months. “Being here, in the host country, will be a wonderful experience,” he said. “The tournament represents a milestone for Qatar, and it is an opportunity for our community at QF to contribute in unique ways. “Let us be positive and work together to find the best solutions. We are the ambassadors of QF’s schools – spreading a positive image of the organization and working to provide a safe and comfortable place for students. Together we can inspire enthusiasm and spread awareness of the creative work that you all do.” This year, PUE has more than 1,500 employees, among them 30% men and 70% women representing 78 different nationalities and serving 7,513 students.
During the forum, seven awards were distributed to a number of PUE teachers and staff. These included: Best Education Initiative; Exceptional Contribution to Collaboration across Schools; Exceptional Contribution to Student Welfare; Outstanding Practitioner – Academic, Outstanding Practitioner – Non-Academic, Outstanding Teacher; and Outstanding Student Award.
