The Ministry of Education and Higher Education

also develops procedures for transferring students with curriculum challenges to competent hospitals and medical centres to diagnose and assess their cases, and regularly follows up with every school support department to monitor their achievements.

The Evaluation Institute develops and conducts the testing of students, monitors student learning and evaluates school performance. It also offers a service for certificate attestation/equivalency.

Qatar continues to invest heavily in all aspects of public education, regularly assessing progress. A diversified and ever-expanding K-12 system provides a broad set of schooling opportunities to meet the individual needs of students and their families.

Literature, the arts and sport are regarded as important parts of the curriculum, as are religion, culture and tradition, but emphasis is placed on mathematics, the sciences, Arabic and English. Its state, public schools are known as independent schools.

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) was formed in 2016, disbanding the former Supreme Education Council (SEC) by Amiri Order No 1 of 2016. The ministry supports, regulates and oversees education in Qatar. It directs the nation's education policy. Membership is drawn from Qatar’s top leaders in government, business and academia. The strategy is to develop the public sector while simultaneously promoting the private, to offer families a wider choice.

MoEHE receives and handles all enquiries and complaints from students, their parents or guardians. You can visit the ministry in person at Al Dafna C3 'Ya Aunak' hotline: 155, edu.gov.qa

At present the three institutes of MoEHE are:

The Education Institute oversees and supports public schools, developing curriculum standards in key areas and providing professional development opportunities for staff members. It also monitors their financial management.

The Institute’s Private Schools Office is responsible for licensing Arab, international and expatriate private (including community) schools, nurseries and kindergartens operating in Qatar and monitoring their compliance, including fee structure. It is also responsible for the Educational Voucher Programme.

The Institute’s Office of Additional Educational Support provides guidance and assistance in establishing confidential files for students with Additional Educational Support Needs (AESN). It

Comprehensive individual School Report Cards (SRCs) for independent, private Arabic and international schools in Qatar are available online to the general public. They include data on academic achievement, teaching methods, parental involvement, facilities and resources.

To evaluate students in Qatar against those in other countries, the institute participates in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS).

The Evaluation Institute consists of five offices:

• The Student Assessment Office

• The School Evaluation Office

• The Data Collection and Management Office (DCM)

• The Qatar Office of Registration, Licensing and Accreditation (QORLA)

• Qatar Senior Schooling Certificate Office

The Higher Education Institute (HEI) supports the development of Higher, Technical and Vocational Education (HTVE) so that individuals can develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, prepare for future leadership roles and meet the nation’s workforce needs. It advises individuals on career options and study opportunities that match their abilities and interests, and meets the needs of the labour market. It supervises scholarships and grants for undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Qatar, the Arab world, Australia, the UK, Europe, the US and Canada.

The Hamad bin Khalifa and Tamim bin Hamad Grants Programmes offer suitably qualified Qatari students scholarships to 30 select universities. HEI has an Advising Career Development Centre and a Scholarship Office as well as a Standards Office, which licenses and accredits higher education institutes and programmes in Qatar.

The Institute assists students with online college admission procedures and MoEHE is promoting the mission of Qatar’s cultural attaches in scholarship countries, reopening some which had previously closed.