Historical Note

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.

Basic Education

Qatar follows a policy of compulsory education until the end of the elementary stage and free education to all citizens. Basic education consists of the following stages,

The country has 113 elementary schools; 60 for boys and 53 for girls, 56 preparatory schools; 28 for boys and 28 for girls, and 41 secondary schools; 19 for boys and 22 for girls. Government schools provide free education for the children of non-Qatari residents who work for the public sector. Qatar also has private schools as well as schools for the different Arab communities like the Lebanese, Jordanian and Sudanese schools plus those for non-Arab communities like the Indian, American and other schools.

Higher Education

University education in Qatar started in the seventies when two colleges of education, one for male and one for female students, were established in 1973. The new campus for Qatar University was officially inaugurated in 1985. The university consists of the following seven faculties,

Faculty of Education

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Faculty of Science

Faculty of Islamic Studies

Faculty of Administration and Economics Faculty of Engineering

Faculty of Technology

All the above faculties have branches in the male and female student sections with the exception of the Faculty of Engineering, which is available to male students only. The academic staff have a large number of specialists from Qatar, all Arab countries and some foreign countries. The university has more than eight thousand students.

A large number of Qataris, particularly male students, attend universities outside the state. Universities in the USA and UK, in particular, have a large number of Qataris studying for higher degrees. The Ministry of Education and Culture grants a large number of scholarships to enable these students to obtain the highest degrees from the best universities.

Qatar also has a number of private colleges particularly for female students.

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.

Elimination of Illiteracy

The first centre for adult education and the elimination of illiteracy was established in 1954. Regular classes were started in 1956 when there were seven schools with 614 students. Two ladies centres were opened in 1976. Illiterate students were given four years of elementary schooling after which they were granted their literacy certificates. In the past such students were also given incentive allowances of QR150 per month. The Ministry of Education and Culture takes care to ensure the subjects studied are appropriate to the emotional needs of the students and that those given to female students are directly relevant to women’s needs.
Latest statistics indicate that illiteracy in Qatar has declined in recent years. Statistics for 1997 show that illiteracy for Qataris over 10 years old is 13.6%, 8.6% for males and 18.4% for females.