Training
Qatar has recognized the importance of a
well-educated population and during the former emir
Hamad (2005–2013) a strong investment was initiated with
the aim of making the country the center of education
and research in the region of the Persian Gulf.
A state education system was introduced in 1956. The
school consists of three stages (six plus three plus
three years). For Qatari citizens, both girls and boys,
compulsory schooling equivalent to compulsory school and
high school is compulsory from the age of 6 to 18, for
foreign children up to ninth grade. In 2013, the
preschool became compulsory from the age of three.
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COUNTRYAAH:
Country facts of Qatar, including geography profile, population statistics, and business data.
The state schools attach great importance to English,
mathematics and other natural science subjects.
In the early 2000s, private schools were allowed.
Nowadays, more than half of the schools are run
privately, but like the state schools, they are subject
to a special supervisory authority. Private schools may
charge fees while state schools are free of charge for
Qatari citizens up to the university level.
Minority groups have been encouraged to start schools
for their children, with their own curricula. This has
led to especially Indian and Filipino students having
access to their own schools. However, among the low-paid
migrant workers, there are many who find it difficult to
meet school fees. A reporter who, on behalf of the UN,
examined the school systems in Qatar in 2019 found that
about 4,000 school-age children did not attend school.
Qatar has its own state university but in the 2000s a
number of foreign, mainly American, universities also
opened branches in the country. About two-thirds of the
students are women and Qatar is consciously investing in
women's education. Many Qatarians, mainly men but to an
increasing extent also women, still choose to study
abroad, usually in the United States, the United Kingdom
or in any other Arab country.
About a tenth of the state's expenditure goes to
education.
- Andyeducation: Introduction to education system in Qatar, including compulsory schooling and higher education.
FACTS - EDUCATION
Proportion of children starting primary
school
94.4 percent (2017)
Number of pupils per teacher in primary
school
12 (2017)
Reading and writing skills
89.0 percent (2004)
Public expenditure on education as a
percentage of GDP
8.9 percent (2017)
Public expenditure on education as a
percentage of the state budget
8.9 percent (2017)
2013
November
General military duty is introduced
Qatar decides, from 2014, to introduce mandatory military service for all
male citizens between the ages of 18 and 35.
New alarm report on guest workers
Amnesty International reports on serious misconduct in the construction
sector, where many of the country's 1.5 million guest workers work. The working
conditions for guest workers in Qatar have previously drawn criticism from the
outside world and created questions about the country's suitability to host the
2022 Soccer World Cup.
October
The Emirate supports Union proposals
Emir Tamim conducts state visits in several countries on the Persian Gulf
where he emphasizes the importance of forming a union in line with a proposal
from Saudi Arabia presented in 2011.
June
New emir
Crown Prince Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani takes power when his father, Sheikh
Hamad, abdicates after 18 years on the throne. Tamim is 33 years old and now
becomes the youngest leader in the Persian Gulf countries. Although the change
of power came unexpectedly for the outside world, it is not considered to
radically change Qatar's political line, as Tamim over the years gradually
introduced into Qatar's power apparatus. The new emir already designates a new
government the next day with new prime minister, Abdullah bin Nasir Al Thani,
who will also become interior minister.
April
Increased financial support for Egypt
Qatar decides to give Egypt $ 3 billion in aid, in addition to the $ 5
billion already given since the Egyptian Revolution in 2011. The decision is
made despite the fact that a month earlier, Qatar's finance minister declared
that no more money will be given to Egypt.
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