The Supreme Education Council (SEC) has dropped its controversial decision to remove non-Qatari students from certain grades from Independent Schools. Meanwhile, more than 600 teachers of government schools have been given marching orders as the institutions they have been working for are being converted into Independent Schools. The decision of removing non-Qatari students from Independent Schools was taken to accommodate more Qatari students. The Council has issued fresh directives to these institutions to ignore its earlier circular. The SEC on Wednesday shot off circulars to all Independent Schools asking them not to continue on their rolls expatriate students of kindergarten and grade VI who were promoted to grades I and VII, respectively, saying the seats were to be kept open for Qatari students. Al Sharq Arabic daily reported the issue publishing a copy of the circular and the fact that the move had led to a hue and cry among expatriate communities. Reacting to the report, the SEC wrote to the daily yesterday that it was taking its decision back and even issued fresh circulars to Independent Schools asking them to ignore its earlier notification. “Please note that our decision (to remove expatriate students from certain grades) remains cancelled,” wrote the Council in its communication addressed to the Editor-in-Chief of the daily. Independent Schools witness a lot of rush for admission as a result of which a large number of students are waitlisted every year. Admissions to grade I in Independent Schools are slated to begin from tomorrow, while those to grade VII open on May 31, said the SEC circular. The SEC has been for the past several years converting in a phased manner government schools into Independent Schools which impart modern education. In the sixth continuous phase of such transformations this year, some 18 government schools will be joining ranks with Independent Schools. The move to sack more than 600 government school teachers is a fallout of this move. And this is the first time since the launch of the new school system that the Ministry of Education had to sack such a large number of teachers in one go, Al Sharq reported yesterday. http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=May2009&file=Local_News2009052314056.xml

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