Best schools in Doha
Education in Doha
The Qatari royal family has put a high priority on improving the education system and providing quality schools and educational opportunities for all residents of Qatar – both nationals and non-nationals.
Thus, Qatar provides free education for all citizens from kindergarten through high school and has poured vast financial resources into the educational system to adequately prepare Qatar for the future. The most obvious monument to the education advancement effort is Education City, an enclave of academia, home to a private primary and secondary school and branches of many US universities: Carnegie Mellon, Cornell Weill Medical, Georgetown, Texas A & M, and Northwestern.
Sprinkled throughout the state are other newer, private schools established as part of the Qatar Foundation’s Outstanding Schools Initiative. Under this programme, Qatar has brought in and opened up franchises or satellite campuses of well-regarded UK, US and other international, primary and secondary schools.
Two agencies oversee schools in Qatar; the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Supreme Education Council (SEC). The MOE is in charge of the public schools in Qatar. The ultimate governing authority for education policy in Qatar rests with the SEC. Their purview includes all public, independent and private schools and universities. Many of the new SEC Outstanding Schools Initiative schools are required to teach Arabic and Islamic studies to Arab students, and they are gaining popularity with locals as well as Arab expat families.
The number of private schools has grown exponentially, along with the population. There are now over 300, according to MOEHE. There are schools established for almost every nationality: American, British Canadian, French, German, Indian, Filipino and Lebanese. But although Qatar has made vast improvements to their own independent and public schools, they offer a strict Muslim curriculum, so most expats (as well as an increasing number of Qatar nationals) choose to educate their children in one of the many private schools.
At one time, new schools kept popping up like weeds, making it difficult to keep track of all of them and unfortunately some opened more for a business opportunity for the owners, rather than to offer a solid educational environment for expat and local children. However, the invasion slowed at the end of the noughties and there are far fewer new international schools these days.
School campuses, like much of Doha, can be a bit of shock - particularly the gated/high walls. Do not expect acres of lush, green foliage. Many schools have little to no grass play areas and no playing fields – partly due to the limited size of the campuses and also to the temperatures that make it difficult (and expensive) to maintain grass and are, anyway, too hot to use for much of the year.
School days tend to be shorter and many of the new schools are required to teach Arabic – a ruling handed down by the Supreme Education Council – so the actual time spent on the basic curriculum can suffer. Start and end dates change regularly, as determined by the SEC. All depends on the timing of Ramadan. Most schools will follow the Muslim holidays as well as many of the school’s home nationality.
Traffic is horrendous - a 10-minute trip one day may take two or three times that on other days. As many activities occur at schools, you’ll need to allow for widely varying journey times if doing different pick-up schedules. Good news is that most schools offer buses, but the terrible traffic is still something to factor in to both school and housing choices.
Choosing a school in Doha
There are some schools in Qatar that maintain an excellent reputation year after year and there are some that remain a bad option. Everyone knows which ones are the best and everyone wants their kids in them – it is that simple. And yes, if you do get a slot at a one of the better schools, expect to pay a premium. This very well recognised hierarchy of private school reputations means you need to ask around as much as possible – you’ll soon realise you’re hearing the same names mentioned in both the good and bad categories.
The American (primary, middle school, USHSD, AP), International Baccalaureate and English curricula are the main curricula on offer. Be aware that many of the British schools offer a somewhat watered down version of the English curriculum. Some will have only minor adaptations, while others may be barely recognisable.
Because demand for slots at the good schools far surpasses the supply, persistence is key. Schools are inundated with perspective callers, so do not be put off by a less than encouraging initial response. Openings do become available since the expat community is more transient here than in many other locations.
Consider the number or percentage of native English speaking students vs non-native English speakers. Even if you like the curriculum, if the teachers are teaching to the non-native speakers, it may slow down the progress of the class.
Special education needs in Doha
Few if any schools accommodate moderate to severe learning disabilities but Qatar Academy does have a separate special needs school - Awsaj Academy. Some schools have learning assistance specialists but they tend to be for mild needs. You’ll need to speak to the school directly to see if and how they can assist you and beware, you may be required to pay for assistance in addition to the tuition and fees. The Learning Center is a centralised team supporting teachers in the various schools to handle issues arising from students with special needs or learning disabilities.
