DOHA: The Shura Council has held its regular weekly session at the Tamim bin Hamad Hall at the Council's headquarters, chaired by Speaker of the Council HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim.
During the session, the Council approved a number of draft laws and referred them to the government, the most prominent of which was a draft law amending some provisions of the Civil Human Resources Law issued by Law No. (15) of 2016, in its amended form, after reviewing what was stated in the report of the Social Affairs, Labour and Housing Committee, and discussing its details by the honorable members.
The Council also approved a draft law amending some provisions of the Lawyers Law issued by Law No. (23) of 2006, and a draft law amending some provisions of the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Law issued by Law No. (20) of 2019.
The Shura Council also approved two draft laws on biometric fingerprinting and genetic fingerprinting, and a draft law regulating the import, export, and transit of rough diamonds, after reviewing the reports of the relevant committees and discussing their details with the Council's members.
The Council reviewed the report of the Education, Culture, Sports and Media Affairs Committee on the request for a general discussion submitted by a number of the Council members, regarding the teacher and his impact on instilling national identity.
During the discussion of the report, Al Ghanim emphasized the importance of the role played by teachers in building students' personalities and instilling national values.
He stressed that instilling national identity is a priority for the state, in line with the lofty directives of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and the provisions of Qatar National Vision 2030, which aims to preserve the cultural fabric of society and strengthen loyalty and belonging to the homeland.
He explained that the Council attaches great importance to all issues related to education, given their direct connection to the nation's future. He emphasized that the proposal for a general discussion reflects the Council's engagement with the aspirations of society and its commitment to supporting the national education system in a way that enhances its identity and preserves its cultural identity.
In this context, he pointed out that strengthening the role of teachers is not limited to the academic aspect, but extends beyond that to include them as an effective partner in building national identity. This requires examining the educational policies in place, particularly in private schools, to ensure they are consistent with the country's national values.
For his part, Chairman of the Education, Culture, Sports and Media Affairs Committee HE Khalid bin Ahmed Al Obaidan, while reviewing the report, referred to the meetings held by the Committee to discuss the subject and the in-depth discussions that took place, during which members presented a number of proposals that contribute to supporting the role of teachers in consolidating national identity.
He explained that during its meetings, the committee listened to the views of a number of specialists and reviewed the policies followed in private schools, stressing the need to address some gaps through practical proposals that would ensure the advancement of the educational process and strengthen its values and cultural dimension.
After extensive discussion of the report, the Council decided to submit a proposal to the government, which includes a number of important recommendations, including amending contracts concluded in private schools to ensure that non-Qatari teachers adhere to national values, in addition to providing effective oversight mechanisms to monitor compliance with these provisions.
The proposal also called for a focus, when conducting job interviews in private schools, on teachers' cultural and value standards, so that procedures are not limited to verifying official documents only, but extend to ensuring that teachers comply with the behavioral and professional standards associated with the teaching profession in the country.
The visions also included the creation of specialized positions in matters of national identity and community culture, to monitor private schools' adherence to approved curricula and to monitor behaviors that violate national values by teachers or school administrations.
The proposal also included the creation of a mandatory educational program for recruited teachers in all disciplines, addressing Qatari national values and identity. Completion of this program is a prerequisite for employment in private schools.
The Shura Council also reviewed the reports of the Education, Culture, Sports and Media Affairs Committee on the government's statement on the two proposals submitted by the Council, regarding promoting values and national identity in society, and regulating the production and dissemination of media content on digital platforms, and took appropriate decisions regarding them.
The Council also reviewed the esteemed government's statement on the proposals submitted by the Shura Council regarding the problem of increasing divorce rates in society, and its statement on the proposals submitted by the Council regarding procedures for domestic workers to leave the country. It decided to refer them to the two specialized committees for study and to inform it of their conclusions regarding them.
At the conclusion of the session, the Council reviewed a number of reports on participation in regional and international parliamentary events.
