QATAR

HISTORY & BACKGROUND

The State of Qatar juts out into the Arabian/Persian Gulf from the Arabian Peninsula, a peninsula itself protruding from Arabia into the Gulf, comprising 11,437 square kilometers (4,416 square miles) of low lying land surrounded by a number of reefs and small islands. The main cities in Qatar are the capital city of Doha, the industrial city of Misaiaeed, and the smaller cities of Al Khor, Al Wakrah, Dukhan, Al Shamal, Al Zubarah, and Ras Laffan. The population of Qatar in 1998 was about 600,000 people, although of this number, only an estimated 120,000-150,000 were national Qataris. The rest of the population was foreign workers, mainly from Iran and Pakistan, as well as India and other countries of Asia. Most Qataris are of the strict Wahhabi sect of Sunni Islam, and the country has socioreligious restrictions, for example the prohibition of alcohol and the veiling of women. The official language is Arabic, but other languages are used such as English and Urdu.

After World War I, Qatar became a British protectorate, this following four centuries of Turkish control. The country was an economically stagnant backwater until oil exports began in 1949. Oil revenues enabled an accelerated pace of development, and today there are attempts underway to diversify the economy because Qatar's petroleum reserves are not expected to last for much longer. The oil reserves are relatively insignificant in comparison to the vast reserves held by neighboring Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, but Qatari natural gas reserves are extremely large, the third biggest proven reserves after Russian and Iranian reserves.

Historically Qatar has been continuously inhabited since the fourth millennium B.C. The Ubaid culture of Mesopotamia encompassed the Qatari Peninsula, and historians such as Herodotus noted the navigational skills and marine trading of the early inhabitants of the region. On Ptolemy's map of the ancient Arab world, Qatara is listed in reference to an important commercial seaport of the time.

The marine profession of pearling created economic growth in the fourteenth century Abbasid era. The demand for pearls by the Baghdad Caliphate benefited the local pearling and trade-based economy. In the sixteenth century Qatar aligned with the Turks in order to resist the Portuguese, and for the next 400 years Ottoman rule was effected through the headship of local Arab tribal sheikhs subordinated to the Ottomans.

Qatar became an independent nation on September 3, 1971. There had been talk of the emirates of Qatar and Bahrain joining the federation of the United Arab Emirates (UAR), but when Bahrain declared to become a sovereign state instead of joining the UAR, Qatar followed suit, not wanting to be outdone by its rival sheikhdom. Recent (since 1986) rivalry and mistrust between Bahrain and Qatar stems from territorial disputes over the Hawar Islands and gas fields, but the disputes are not considered to be serious and the countries are cooperating with arbitration efforts.

Originally from the Najd region in Saudi Arabia, having moved to the Qatari Peninsula in the eighteenth century, the Al Thani ruling family dominates Qatar today. The emir or ruler of the country, HH (His Highness) Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, deposed his father Sheikh Khalifa Al Thani in a 1995 bloodless coup supported by the military and the Al Thani family. Executive power is vested in the Emir Sheikh Hamad, who governs by royal decrees. No political parties are allowed, but there is a consultative council, the Majlis As Shura, a largely powerless entity performing only consultative duties for issues that the Emir places on the council's agenda. There is talk of establishing a permanent constitution and an elected parliament, and there may possibly be some important changes in Qatar's system of governance as the country again follows the trail of its neighbor Bahrain where there now exists a greater degree of political freedom than before.

CONSTITUTIONAL & LEGAL FOUNDATIONS

The Constitution of the State of Qatar assures citizens of social welfare provisions made possible through the oil revenues generated since oil exports began. All Qatari nationals are entitled to free education in the state's comprehensive schooling system that began with the first primary schools in the early 1950s. Equal rights for and obligations of citizens are outlined in the constitution, and the government's responsibility for providing citizens with jobs is highlighted.

There have been signs that the Qatari government may take steps toward allowing greater political freedoms in the country. The Majlis As Shura, or consultative council, of Sheikh Hamad, may be replaced by an elected council or parliament. This would add an element of democracy to the governing process, and the fact that such a move is even being contemplated illustrates the pressures for change. The ruling family, comprising an estimated 10 percent of the Qatari national population, is very powerful, and although the ruler is accountable to the family, other elements of Qatari society have little or no say in the process of governance. The emir is vested with the authority to issue decrees after consultation with the Majlis As Shura. Emiri Decree number 2 established the University of Qatar in 1977, and Decree number 10 (1990) established the Educational Technology Center. But if greater freedoms result through an elected consultative council, a step may be taken toward liberalization and greater social freedoms. In fact, Sheikh Hamad himself has promised that such elections will occur. It remains to be seen how educational development will be affected by further involvement and greater participation of Qataris in governing their own country.

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM—OVERVIEW

Education is free in Qatar. Students in government schools are provided books and transportation to and from schools. The 12-year public school system consists of a six-year primary cycle followed by a three-year secondary cycle and then a three-year tertiary cycle, taking students up through the secondary level by Western educational standards.

Education in Qatar has benefited greatly from oil revenues. The first schools in Qatar before the beginnings of the modern education system were religious in nature, Quranic schools where young boys learned to recite the Quran and acquired basic Arabic literacy skills. The first secular primary schools, for boys only, opened their doors in 1952 shortly after oil exports began, and further expansion and development in education soon followed, as the Ministry of Education was one of the first government ministries to be created in 1956. In the mid-1950s, girls schools were started, and programs in secondary education began. By the 1980s, the educational sector was fairly well developed thanks to the generous welfare provisions of the state. By that time there were programs beyond general academic courses. At the secondary level of education, students could choose from technical, vocational, commercial, and religious training tracks.

The College of Education commenced operations in 1973, forming the nucleus of what was to later become the University of Qatar in 1977. The university now offers a considerable range of courses in the humanities, social sciences, Islamic studies, science, engineering, and education. By the early 1980s, there were around 46,000 students enrolled in the 12-year system of public education, and the government made plans to increase the number of schools from about 160 in 1983 to 300 in 1990. The majority of the teachers in the 1980s were foreign. However, Qataris, mainly Qatari women, comprised almost half of the teachers in public schools.

At the onset of the new millennium there were many challenges to be met by the Qatari education system. The era of oil super affluence, although permitting rapid development and accelerated progress, has also meant that citizens have come to depend on the social services and welfare provisions of a benevolent state. When schooling is free in an educational system that provides everything from buildings to books, and when there are comfortable jobs to be had upon completion of studies, the expectation of many younger citizens is that they will be able to continue a lifestyle of ease as did their parents. But in an era of dwindling Qatari oil reserves and a larger population, such expectations are unrealistic. Settling into a well-paying job with little actual work involved is an option that many of the younger generation in Arab Gulf states may never realize (Sick 1997).

Such a socialization into the welfare state mentality partly explains the overwhelming reliance on expatriate labor in the Arab Gulf countries. With an estimated 83 percent of its workforce comprising foreign workers, Qatar is somewhat in the mid-range as compared to other Gulf states (Sick 1997). And such dependence on foreign labor highlights an ever-increasing dilemma for the Arab Gulf states such as Qatar, a dilemma of an increasing mismatch between schools and training institutions with the actual needs of the labor market (Al Sulayti 1999). In Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, the vocational/technical professions are generally seen as being beneath a certain level of dignity and respectability. Gulf nationals would prefer an easy government job as opposed to a vocational/technical career. The low enrollments in vocational/technical programs are not enough to meet the national needs for skilled workers, and this low enrollment reflects the less than enthusiastic attitudes toward professions involving "manual" labor that are vocational/technical in nature. Outside the government sector, companies generally prefer to hire motivated foreign workers willing to work for low wages rather than relatively unmotivated, expectant nationals. There are urgent reforms needed in the educational and training systems if these issues of concern are to be dealt with.

Upgrading of the Qatari education and training systems is a main focus at the beginning of the twenty-first century, targeting the quality of education available, the Qatarization of the workforce, the high failure rate of students in government schools, and the correlation of training and educational curricula with actual labor market needs.

At the twenty-first graduation ceremony of the University of Qatar in 1998, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad, addressed the graduating class with a vision for further progress. Acknowledging the advancements made, he cited the need for reviewing and updating the university programs and specialized courses of study, upgrading the standards and quality of education, and relating study and research to the needs of Qatari society.

PREPRIMARY & PRIMARY EDUCATION

From having only a few Quranic schools for boys in the early 1900s, Qatar's system of education has evolved into the comprehensive educational infrastructure that exists today. Both private and government schools offer preschool and primary education. At the primary level, there are around 160 schools in operation, following the Qatari educational curricula, or in the case of private schools, following curricula that will meet the needs of the various expatriate communities in the country. British, French, Norwegian, American, Filipino, Japanese, Indian, Bangladeshi, and other communities have schools that serve the needs of their respective members. The majority of these private schools coordinate closely with educational authorities in the home countries of their constituents, and the standard of education in these private schools is generally high. The following is a sampling of private schools providing education at the preschool and/or primary levels: Al Hilal Kindergarten, Bright Future Pakistani School, Central English-Speaking Kindergarten, Gulf School, Doha Montessori, Ideal Indian School, Tinkerbell Nursery, French School, Iranian School, Phillipine School of Doha, and QAFCO Norwegian School. Not only do these schools cater to the expatriate community, but because many nationals choose to enroll their children in an English-language school so as to enhance their children's fluency in English, a substantial number of national students are served in the private schools of Qatar.

SECONDARY EDUCATION

The secondary level of education in Qatar comprises—according to the national education classification system—the secondary and tertiary cycles, taking students up to the age of 18, equivalent to the completion of secondary education by Western standards. Both the secondary and tertiary cycles are three years in length, and by the time students complete these cycles they are ready for entry into the University of Qatar for further studies. There are about 34 secondary schools in Qatar, including government schools such as the Technical Institute, the Religious Institute, and the Secondary School of Commerce. There are also a number of private schools at the secondary level, for example, the Doha College, based on the British system of education up to the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and A-levels. The American School in Qatar offers an American curriculum at the secondary level. Other schools offering secondary-level schooling include the Pak Shama School (with the Pakistan Education Center), the Doha English Speaking School, the Jordanian School, the Middle East International School, the Park House English School, the Qatar Academy, and the Qatar International School.

HIGHER EDUCATION

The University of Qatar is the main institution of higher education in Qatar today. With the establishment of the College of Education in 1973 the foundation was laid for the official opening of the University of Qatar in 1977. At that time, there were four colleges: the College of Education, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the College of Science, and the College of Shari'a and Islamic Studies. Since 1977 the university has added three colleges: the College of Engineering, the College of Administrative Sciences and Economics, and the College of Technology, and now has a total of seven. The university also has four research centers: the Scientific and Applied Research Center, the Sunna and Sirra Research Center, the Educational Technology Center, and the Documentation and Humanities Research Center. The main campus of the university is located in the northern part of the capital city of Doha, housed in attractive modern buildings.

Partly due to more Qatari men studying abroad than Qatari women, and also due in part to teaching being one of the more acceptable professions for women in Islamic societies such as Qatar, the women outnumber the men approximately three to one at the university. From the early 1980s to the 1990s the student population at the university nearly doubled, from 3,500 students in 1982-1983, to 6,873 students in 1992-1993. The following data show the number of students and their areas of study at the University of Qatar as of 1992-1993.

1. There were 2,010 first-year students with no declared major, including 510 men and 1,500 women.
2. There were 278 men and 1,786 women majoring in education.
3. There were 209 men and 728 women majoring in humanities.
4. There were 243 men and 425 women majoring in science.
5. There were 55 men and 404 women majoring in Shari'a (Religious Studies).
6. There were 294 men and 165 women majoring in administration.
7. There were 276 men and no women majoring in engineering.
8. In all majors, there was a total of 1,865 men and 5,008 women enrolled, for a total of 6,873 students.

As of 1999, the Shaqab College of Design Arts was another option for students at the higher level of education. The college is a Qatar-based extension of the Virginia Commonwealth University and offers educational opportunities in professional design. Students can earn a bachelor's degree in fine arts (BFA), in communication arts and design, fashion design and merchandising, or interior design in the college's four-year program.

ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE, & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Established in 1956, Qatar's Ministry of Education is responsible for overseeing the national education system. Since the formation of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in 1981, the ministry has worked toward coordinating its educational agenda with that of other GCC states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates). At the end of the 1990s, the emphasis was on educational reform in order to address problems such as high unemployment, high attrition and failure rates in schools, poor uptake of graduates into the labor force, and curriculum revision to improve the quality of education on offer. With an estimated 5 percent of the national budget going toward general education, and another 4.5 percent going to the University of Qatar, the funding exists to implement needed reforms. And, with specialized educational think tanks such as the Education Research Center (ERC), the resources exist to analyze the problems and challenges facing educators in Qatar. The ERC supports educational research, offers consultation services to schools, facilitates cooperation among Qatar University's faculty and staff, publishes a biannual journal for the reporting of research results, and organizes workshops, seminars, and conferences for the benefit of the educational profession in Qatar.

NONFORMAL EDUCATION

There are a number of schools in Qatar catering to children with special needs and offering services to the handicapped and mentally impaired. This type of special education began in 1974 with the establishment of a governmental Special Education Section. Additionally, the Ministry of Education operates special needs schools for the deaf and blind, for example, the Shafallah Center, which opened in September 1999. Funded by the Supreme Council for Family Affairs and the National Committee for Special Needs, the Shafallah Center is a private, nonprofit institution. Units at this school include a Family Support Unit, an Early Intervention Unit, miscellaneous school units, a Paramedical Support Unit, and an Instructional Media Unit, along with a library. Also planned are a school unit for autistic children as well as prevocational and vocational units.

Other options for Qatari students outside the formal schooling sector include distance education initiatives, cultural centers, and centers for adult learning. There are also a number of short educational and training courses being offered in Qatar made available through either local or visiting companies. Training and community programs are also offered through various cultural clubs in Qatar.

TEACHING PROFESSION

The teaching profession in Qatar, as in other Arab Gulf states, is one characterized by large proportions of foreign teachers. The dominance of women in education, and their exclusion from areas such as engineering and administration, is also characteristic of the traditional religious restrictions placed upon women—although changes are underway. In 1992-1993 the number of women studying in the University of Qatar's Faculty of Education outnumbered the men an astounding 1,786 to 278. The traditionally acceptable role of women as teachers in Islamic societies is comfortably reinforced in the restrictive Wahhabi-influenced society of Qatar. Although there is much talk about Qatarization of the national workforce in areas such as education, it is clear that more participation of native men is needed if this goal is to be realized.

The College of Education was the first component of the modern University of Qatar to be established in 1973 as the Faculty of Education. Teachers are trained there for the various levels of basic education in the government system. A great variety of specialties are available for education majors, ranging from language education (English and Arabic), to science education, art education, and more. Teachers-in-training have the option of benefiting from and participating in the ongoing research of the university's Educational Technology Center and the Educational Research Center.

The British Council of Qatar has been involved in a program of quality improvement with regard to English-language education. English teaching supervisors in the Ministry of Education participated in training programs in 1999 as part of the ministry's strategy to improve the quality of instruction in state schools. Training and consulting provided through the British universities of Reading, Kent, and Nottingham are a component of the overall upgrading and reform of the Qatari national educational and training systems.

SUMMARY

There have been some positive indications suggesting that education in Qatar will continue to develop at an accelerated pace enabled through the prosperity brought on by petroleum and natural gas revenues. But with the prosperity has also come a set of new challenges. A government in the position of benevolent provider of welfare services is in the precarious position of ensuring a level of continued prosperity for its citizens. Fluctuations in the price of oil, a growing population expecting the same entitlements as their parents, and the dependence on foreign labor are factors in the social equation that might easily lose equilibrium.

There are signs that the ruling family of Qatar is relinquishing some control in order to give citizens an outlet for political expression in an elected consultative council. Following the lead of neighboring Bahrain, Qatar seems poised to permit greater political freedoms. Such changes are needed if the country is to create a better system of state bureaucracy. As accelerated as the pace of change has been in Qatar since the first oil exports, it is clear that the country generally lags behind its GCC neighbors in terms of social progress and educational advancement. Qatar is not the pioneer in educational and training initiatives that its neighbor Bahrain is. Its population is tiny in comparison to neighboring Saudi Arabia, and Qatar does not benefit from a motivation driven by the threats of an aggressive neighbor, as does Kuwait. Furthermore, societal restrictions are more repressive in Qatar relative to the United Arab Emirates. As cautious as Qatar may be, following along the trails blazed by others is an education in itself, and not a bad option when lessons can be learned through observing the experiences of neighbors with a similar history, a common religion, a similar sociocultural outlook, and common challenges at the onset of the twenty-first century.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Al-Sulayti, Hamad. "Education and Training in GCC Countries: Some Issues of Concern." In Education and the Arab World: Challenges of the Next Millennium, 271-278. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, 1999.

Bromby, Robin. "Bahrain and Qatar Have Big Import Appetites." In Contemporary Women's Issues Database, Vol. 2 (1997): 5-8.

"Qatar." In Arab Gulf Cooperation Council: The 19th GCC Summit, 96-121. London: Trident Press, 1998.

Sick, Gary G. "The Coming Crisis in the Persian Gulf." In The Persian Gulf at the Millennium: Essays in Politics, Economy, Security, and Religion, eds. Gary G. Sick and Lawrence G. Potter, 11-30. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997.

—John P. Lesko