Schools' Board of trustees

The Supreme Education Council’s Education Institute held a meeting with members of the Boards of Trustees from group I and II Independent Schools’ at 13 February 2006  6:00pm at the Doha Marriott Hotel. Education Institute Director, Ms. Sabah Al-Haidous, Evaluation Institute Director, Adel Abdul Rahman Al-Sayed, and Education Institute’s heads and office managers attended the meeting.

The Education Institute is seeking to establish communication links between the Boards of Trustee members and the Education Institute offices. The meeting briefed the members about the role they should play to support the Education Reform Initiative, and maintain effective participation in the educational process in the Independent Schools.

Ms. Haidous confirmed the Education Institute’s interest to support the boards through provision of all possible facilities to facilitate people’s participation in education. “Strong interaction between parents and Independent Schools is one of the main pillars of the Education Reform Initiative and the formation of the Boards of Trustee are the best representation. This allows parents to be more involved in the schools decision-making and their children's schooling. It will also allow for productive parent and community participation in school accountability and supervision,” she said

The Independent Schools completed elections of the members of their Boards of Trustee last November. School Operators were careful to appoint members who included professionals with technical, social, and legal backgrounds through elections.

While the Education Institute will maintain overall oversight and organization over all of Qatar’s schools, each Independent School’s Board of Trustees will play a critical role in the school’s oversight and organization at the school level. By selecting parents and community members from the surrounding area that have the kinds of technical skills and expertise necessary to advise and monitor the Independent School’s governance, education, finance and operations, these Boards will ensure an extra layer of oversight, accountability and transparency within the school and the community.

The Supreme Education Council was established by Emiri decree in 2002. It serves as the primary authority on education policy in Qatar and, with its three Institutes, is leading the effort to transform the nation’s schools into a modern, world-class education system. More information about Qatar’s education reform effort, Education for a New Era, is available at www.education.gov.qa.