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The tentative beginnings of education in Qatar were in the first half of the twentieth century when boys and girls were taught in the traditional ‘katateeb’ schools. They were taught many subjects but without a formal system. Since those early days, education in Qatar has made great leaps and developed into a system of education reaching all the way to highest stages. Qatar follows a policy of compulsory and continuous education where all citizens receive free schooling reflecting the country’s identity and providing equal opportunities to all.
Free in twelve-year public school system, consisting of six-year primary cycle, three-year intermediate cycle, and three-year secondary cycle. Total students in three cycles in 1985-86 academic year 51,350, of whom roughly 50 percent female. University of Qatar is free.
In recent years Qatar has placed great emphasis on education. Along with the country’s free healthcare to every citizen, every child has free education from kindergarten through college. The country has a university, the University of Qatar, and a number of higher educational institutions. Additionally, with the support of the Qatar Foundation, major American universities have opened branch campuses in Education City, Qatar. These include Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, Texas A&M University, Virginia Commonwealth University and Cornell University's Weill Medical College. In 2004 Qatar established the Qatar Science & Technology Park at Education City to link those universities with industry.
In November of 2002 the Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani created the Supreme Education Council. The Council directs and controls education for all ages from the pre-school level through the university level, including the "Education for a New Era" reform initiative.
The Emir's second wife, Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, has been instrumental in new education initiatives in Qatar. She chairs the Qatar Foundation and is on the board of Qatar's Supreme Education Councel.
English Language Teaching
In Qatari schools and colleges, all subjects are taught in the Arabic language. English is taught as a foreign language in common use in the country. The Ministry of Education and Culture has decided to commence English language teaching from the start of the elementary stage.
Source: Info About Us, The World Factbook, Wikipedia
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