Introduction
Today, education plays an important role in social development and individual success for any population. In Qatar, there are academic facilities, including public and private schools, colleges, and universities, where students obtain knowledge and educational qualifications. Globalization and international relationships allow exchanging students, supporting emigrant education, and improving educational systems. The objective of this project is to examine if educational qualification in Qatar differs according to nationality, namely for Qataris and non-Qataris. The main research question is “Are Qataris and non-Qataris similar or different based on their educational qualifications in Qatar academic facilities?”. There are two hypotheses to assess: “H0: there is no relationship between nationality and education attainment” and “H1: there is a relationship between nationality and education attainment.” The literature review is used to gather information from different sources and systematize the findings on education in Qatar in relation to native citizens and the representatives of other nationalities. Qatar creates good conditions to promote primary, secondary, and tertiary levels for Qatari and non-Qatari students to recognize their future employment options despite existing differences in education quality, content, and cost.
Literature Review
Similarities
In Qatar, as well as in any country, education is a significant element of human life when a person is provided with knowledge and learns how to apply theory in practice. During the last several decades, Arab populations have observed positive changes in educational qualifications due to achieving economic success and increased oil revenues (Nasser, 2017). The Qatari education system is based on the history of the country, people’s traditions, and cultural beliefs. The government and educational policy-makers follow these approaches and strengthen their visions, strategies, and social expectations to attract stakeholders’ attention (Al-Thani et al., 2021). In all regions of the country, the K-12 education system is applied to prepare students for work and show how to use their skills in the future. Qatari academic facilities create certifications for monitoring and assessing the quality of education (Nasser, 2017). Four subjects, namely Arabic, English, Mathematics, and Sciences, are commonly offered to Qatari students. Still, recent reforms in the Qatari educational system have marginalized Arabic and reduced the proper English language teaching because of limited staffing (Nasser, 2017). In most Qatar schools, lessons are in Arabic for Qataris and non-Qataris.
Qataris have three levels of education: primary that lasts six years, and secondary and tertiary that last three years each. Pre-school and secondary education are not compulsory in Qatar, but experts recommend this practice to develop socialization skills from a young age and improve them with time (Sergon, 2021). Primary education is obligatory and usually free of charge, but students have to be ready to pay and prove their compensation rights. The population spends much time reading the Quran and enhancing their religious background through Islamic studies (Nasser, 2017). Other similarities of education include the possibility of getting bachelor’s degrees in general education that may become more specialized in the preferred fields of study (Al-Thani et al., 2021). Private and public schools are always open to Qataris and non-Qataris, but the conditions under which not-native citizens could obtain vary.
Differences
Despite the intention to promote equal education quality for the Qatar population, the nationality factor affects people’s options and predetermines their choices. The main difference in educational qualifications for Qataris and non-Qataris in Qatar is based on cost. In this country, there are school fees for migrant children (AFP, 2019). In Qatar, about 2.75 million people live, and 90% are foreigners or non-Qataris (AFP, 2019). Citizens believe in their right to free and inclusive education, but not all of them are able to meet the fees and have to quit their education. If the child does not speak Arabic, the number of education options gets reduced considerably, and it becomes difficult for non-Qataris to access the necessary programs compared to Qataris (Sergon, 2021). Finally, non-Qataris have to follow the courses established for the Qataris population, meaning that they cannot study their religion but focus on Muslim traditions.
Importance of Educational Qualifications
The educational background of the Qatar population has many similar and different characteristics for Qataris and non-Qataris. There has to be a leading body that takes responsibility for promoting equal learning opportunities. In Qatar, the Supreme Education Council and the Ministry of Education control academic activities at all levels. Girls and boys visit public and private schools on similar grounds, regardless of the existing male guardianship law. High education should not be neglected because of nationality differences; thus, Qatar universities invite Qatari and non-Qatari and establish the same goals and requirements. An undergraduate (bachelor’s) degree requires four or five years of education, and a Master’s degree needs one to two years (Al-Thani et al., 2021). Occupational qualifications depend on many factors like personal skills, teachers’ approaches, and available resources, but cross-national differences never reduce the worth of education among Qataris and non-Qataris.
Conclusion
The educational qualification in Qatar depends on many factors, including the context of a learning process, human resources, or available equipment. In this study, the evaluation of nationality is developed to reveal its possible connection with education attainment. Qatari and non-Qatari students learn how to read and write, use their religious backgrounds, and choose their future occupations as per their needs, interests, or social expectations. Qatari academic facilities offer equal opportunities, with the only main difference that lies in the price of education. Qualifications in education differ from the financial aspects, making tuition fees obligatory for non-Qataris, while Qataris are free to choose between available options to obtain their vocational, preparatory, administrative and other degrees.
References
AFP. (2019). Qatar should ease school fees for migrant children, UN expert says. The Times of Israel. Web.
Al-Thani, W. A., Ari, I., & Koç, M. (2021). Education as a critical factor of sustainability: Case study in Qatar from the teachers’ development perspective. Sustainability, 13(20). Web.
Nasser, R. (2017). Qatar’s educational reform past and future: Challenges in teacher development. Open Review of Educational Research, 4(1), 1–19. Web.
Sergon, V. (2021). The education system in Qatar. Expatica. Web.