Journal Article
An Introduction to Qatar's Primary and Secondary Education Reform
Jan 1, 2009
Format | File Size | Notes |
---|---|---|
PDF file | 0.1 MB | Use Adobe Acrobat Reader version 10 or higher for the best experience. |
Qatar — small, natural-resource-rich country in the Persian Gulf — has embarked on an ambitious, comprehensive effort to upgrade its educational institutions. In 2001, the Emir of Qatar asked RAND, a US-based nonprofit research institution, to conduct an objective analysis of the existing education system. Based on this analysis, the RAND team and Qatari partners considered how the current organization of schooling dominated by the Ministry of Education was meeting the country’s needs, and suggested systemic improvements. In 2002, the Emir announced a sweeping plan based on (1) new government-funded schools that are not operated by the Ministry of Education but by other parties and (2) standardized national student tests aligned with internationally-benchmarked curriculum standards. The reform includes the development of many types of schools and an information system about school performance that facilitates parental choice and involvement. Implementation of the reform began in Fall 2002. In this paper, the authors describe the background analysis underlying the reform and its main elements. They briefly discuss the progress of the reform, and highlight some of the challenges encountered.
The research described in this report was prepared for the Supreme Education Council and was conducted within RAND Education.
This report is part of the RAND Corporation Working paper series. RAND working papers are intended to share researchers' latest findings and to solicit informal peer review. They have been approved for circulation by RAND but may not have been formally edited or peer reviewed.
This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.