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ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER 3 August 2013 25 Ramadan 1434 - Volume 18 Number 5780 Price: QR2 ON SATURDAY A FLAWED The Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani performing Umrah in Makkah yesterday. See also page 3 SYSTEM US embassy in Doha to remain shut tomorrow DOHA: The US embassy in Qatar and some two dozen US embassies and con- THE ISSUE sulates in Muslim-majority countries and Israel would be closed tomorrow. The mission in Doha may remain closed The final results of preparatory and school, where they have not set foot even once question of why so many students failed in for additional days, a press statement issued in a year, and on teachers whom they haven’t the final exams of the preparatory and sec- by the embassy said, as the United States secondary school examinations this met before to enquire about how their children ondary schools this year, as provided by some issued a worldwide alert yesterday warning year have come as a shocker for are doing. commentators: of plans by Al Qaeda to launch an attack in the Qatari community at large. But Easy access to money and modern gadgets According to them, the Independent schools the Middle East or North Africa in August. seem to be spoiling children as, according to some were holding the final exams on their own and The State Department issued the caution education experts and community commentators, many of them are busy most of declaring results. to US citizens, saying attacks were possible elders say the results should the time playing games, or chatting, or using Students were passing out in big numbers and “particularly in the Middle East and North social media on their expensive smartphones. there were hardly any failures. This, a commen- Africa, and possibly occurring in or ema- instead be taken as a wake-up “There are children who keep busy with their tator alleged, was aimed at showing that the nating from the Arabian Peninsula.” call for everyone involved — the smartphones the whole night, playing games school was imparting quality education and was education authorities, parents and and chatting, and head straight to school in the an ideal institution. ‘Occupation a wound morning,” said a commentator. This way, both the school managements and the community at large. A number of commentators have bitterly criti- parents were happy. But some parents were on Muslim world’ cized the SEC for shying away from its role as a shocked since their children passed with flying ccording to local media reports, more regulator of the schools after it introduced the colours but they realised to their shock that they DUBAI: Two days before his inaugu- than 7,000 students from both the Independent school system with much fanfare had little idea about the subjects “taught to them ration as Iran’s new president, Hassan school levels failed in the exams — a decade ago. in the school”, according to a commentator. Rouhani said yesterday that Israeli occu- Aa figure, experts say, is too big for a The SEC is drawing flak more for not doing Another commentator claimed that cheating pation of Palestinian land had inflicted a country with a small population like Qatar. enough to make sure that the Independent in the form of copying took place on a large scale “wound” on the Muslim world, according Surprisingly, education sector regulator, the schools imparted quality education and recruited in the schools and that is why no one failed. to a segment of his remarks broadcast on Supreme Education Council (SEC), is mysteri- teachers who were qualified and adequately Getting wind of the “irregularities”, the educa- Iran’s state-run Press TV. ously silent on the exact percentage of students experienced. tion authorities introduced a parallel exam sys- Full story on page who have failed. Teachers of Independent schools seem to have tem called the National Exams a few years ago. AGENCIES This has led to all kinds of speculation in the become lax as their pay packages are “fantastic” According to this system, Independent schools community as well as in the media over the ratio, and match those in key sectors like oil and gas. would conduct exams with maximum marks of with some suggesting the percentage could be as Local media reports suggested in May 2012 70, with the students being required to appear high as 70 to 75. that the starting basic monthly salary of a for another set of tests carrying maximum Shocked parents have complained to the SEC Qatari teacher in an Independent school was marks of 30. RAMADAN TIMING and the schools, while a heated debate rages on proposed to be raised to QR40,000 ($11,000) and The gap between the two exams used to be the issue on local social networking sites. they would be entitled to a yearly increment of normally a fortnight. Some commentators, while lauding the new between one and six percent. This year, the education authorities suddenly Today’s Iftar exam system, are pointing accusing fingers at the Also, an increasing number of teachers are reversed the ratio, increasing the maximum parents, most of whom, they say, don’t care how becoming involved in the racket of private tui- marks for the National Exam to 70 and reduc- 6:20pm their children fare in the school and whether tions, where the fee for teaching science and ing that of the schools to 30. they study seriously or not the whole year. mathematics, for instance, can go up to QR350 The students and their parents were not PAGE“These parents suddenly 6 wake up at the time an hour. informed of the changed system, so the exami- Tomorrow’s Imsak exam results are out and begin screaming or “Education is being ruthlessly commercial- nees were caught off guard, and that explains begin rejoicing depending on their children’s ised,” complained a commentator, citing the this year’s poor pass percentage, according to 03:28am scorecard,” said a commentator. above rate. some commentators. The parents mostly take out their ire on the And here is the answer to the most puzzling See also page 2 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 AUGUST 3, 2013 ON SATURDAY 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Home Has the Independent school system failed? DOHA: The poor results of this examinations rather than con- “This is because the exami- system was not explained to the limbo, not knowing who was year’s second term examina- ducting it at one time at the end nation was recently introduced, parents through the media or responsible for the failure, the tion for students of preparatory of the school year,” said Hassa, and last year it did not exceed 30 other means of communication. school or the SEC. and secondary Independent another student. percent weight in the total score, He suggested the exams be con- She also pointed out the prob- schools have earned the ire of A big factor that caused the so the students did not take it ducted twice a year and not at one lem of shortage of teachers in many parents, and education failures, she pointed out, was stu- seriously. But this year it was time. He criticised the profes- In the past, the SEC’s Independent schools, which has experts see them as proof of dents’ lack of adequate prepara- changed to 70 percent,” he said. sional file, which requires teach- policy encouraged prompted many of them to hire the failure of the Independent tion for the exams. He admitted the examinations ers to attend training sessions Independent schools unqualified teachers. school system after 10 years of “There was only a two-week gap could have been above the level of and workshops to update their Some experts, however, believe implementation. between the school and national the students since Independent professional qualifications. This to pass students to that teachers alone can’t bear In the Qatari Independent exams, and that was not enough schools come up with their own puts additional burden on teach- show the system as the responsibility because they school system, for a student to get for us to prepare,” she said. teaching content. ers, making them less effective. are overloaded with work and promoted he or she has to pass Hamad Hanzab, a preparatory “A common syllabus is followed “They spend too much time in successful, at the students stay for long hours in two sets of examinations, which school director, said the percent- but the content is determined by workshops and training courses expense of quality schools. consist of an exam conducted age of students who failed was the teacher, so how were they able which are done during the school Musaad Saeed Al Hajaji, a by the school and another by high and the majority of them had to come up with the exams?” he year parallel to teaching,” he said. education. human resources expert, said the Supreme Education Council failed in mathematics. asked, adding that the new exam Another school operator said the SEC’s policies keep teachers (SEC). the shocking exam results were busy attending training courses Last year, the school exams the outcome of the SEC’s wrong affected students, she added. to finish their professional file, an carried more weight (70 percent) policy. In the past, he said, Blaming the SEC’s policies, annual requirement for them. compared to the national exams People vent fury online the SEC’s policy encouraged she said the curriculum should “Such kind of professional (30 percent), but this academic Independent schools to pass stu- be centralised and not left to the training should be given only to year this was reversed, resulting DOHA: The failure of thou- “Teachers don’t have the feeling dents in exams to show the sys- discretion of each school.

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