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Malek Helali
Doha
THE highest percentage of school teachers satisfied with their salaries comes from independent schools with a satisfaction rate of 82 percent compared to only 48 percent in international schools and 42 percent in private Arabic schools, according to an Education Report in Qatar Schools 2015-2016 by the School Evaluation Department of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
The recently published report summary states that the high percentage of satisfied independent school teachers reflects the government's effort to provide adequate financial support for instructors in order to ensure their optimal career performance.
Furthermore, the report indicates that 90 percent of independent school teachers are satisfied with the school's organisation and operation quality compared to 81 percent of international school teachers and 76 percent of private Arabic school teachers.
These satisfactory percentages that are highest in independent schools reflect the efficacy of the policies and procedures followed by the ministry towards independent schools and how they are administered to be successful institutions.
The independent schools also scored a perfect 100 percent in availability of facilities for students with special needs while only 50 percent of international schools and 42 percent of private Arabic schools offered similar facilities.
The report states that these percentages reflect the ministry's efforts to provide independent schools with all the needed facilities and services to support students with special needs and learning disabilities.
However, the average number of years of experience for school principals in independent schools was the lowest with an average of 9.5 years compared to 15.4 years in international schools and 14.5 years in private Arabic schools.
According to the report, this factor could indicate a lack of experience of independent school administers and should be taken into consideration in hiring new principals. Also, further research should be done on the correlation between the years of experience and the quality of educational outcomes.
Similarly, teachers' experience in independent schools was lower than international and private Arabic schools which could affect the quality of teachers' performance and consequently the students' performance.
While it is scientifically proven that there is a direct correlation between parents' educational qualifications and students' performance, the report shows that the educational qualifications of parents of students in independent schools are lower than other schools which might impact the students' performance and educational outcomes.
The report also shows that the percentage of principals' and teachers' satisfaction with the parents' support in their children's education were 68 percent and 59 percent, respectively,in independent schools compared to 83 percent and 79 percent in international schools.
Therefore, the report concludes that there is a need for increasing parents' awareness of the importance of supporting their children's education which will positively affect their educational outcomes. These percentages can be explained by the low educational qualifications of parents of independent schools' students compared to other schools, according to the report.
Comparing the results of 6th and 9th grades national examination results, the report also shows a decrease in independent schools' students' performance in Arabic and English in 2016 compared to 2014-2015, and an increase in independent schools' students' performance in Mathematics and Science in 2016 compared to 2014-2015.
