150 teachers graduate from the British Council

At least 150 teachers will receive the Academic Language Support Programme (ALP) certificates after successfully completing the three phases of the programme, which is designed to improve the capacity for maths and science teachers in independent schools to teach their subjects in the English medium. The certificate recognises 90 hours of language and methodology workshops and 3 in school visits/class observations. The Supreme Education Council’s Education Institute collaborated with the British Council to implement the program. Mr. Simon Winetroube, director British Council, and Dr. Jan Wilson, Acting Director, Professional Development Office, Education Institute, Supreme Education Council.

The Academic Language Support Programme aims to enable mathematics and science teachers to improve their level of competency in English through an intensive language support programme and a range of scaffolding structures to support improved learning in classrooms.

The pilot phase of the ALP for Science and Mathematics teachers in the independent schools has been in operation during the 2008-9 academic year. The programme has been designed to support teachers to improve and enhance their professional and technical English vocabulary so that they have the knowledge, skills and confidence to explain terms, concepts and to lead discussion in English. The second objective is to assist teachers to develop their pedagogical knowledge and skills so that they have greater mastery of a wide range of teaching approaches and methods which support the implementation of the Qatari Curriculum Standards for mathematics and science through the use of English. The third phase of the programme focuses on supporting teachers in the classroom to trial and implement what they have learned during the previous phases.

The government of Qatar is engaged in a multi-year effort to improve its education system, which began in 2002. To date, 88 independent schools have opened their doors to offer pioneering ways of teaching and learning to Qatari learners since the inception of Education for a New Era.