Doha: Director of the Schools and Student Affairs Department at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE), Maryam Ali AlNesef Al Buainain, confirmed that all preparations have been completed for the start of the new 2026-2027 academic year next Sunday. Around 148,000 students will be welcomed across 282 public schools and 69 public kindergartens.

According to Qatar News Agency, Al Buainain emphasized that the Ministry, through its relevant departments, continued working throughout the summer break to complete comprehensive maintenance and prepare educational facilities, ensuring a safe and welcoming school environment for students from the first day of classes.

The plan to prepare for the new academic year was based on four key strategic pillars. The first focused on ensuring the smooth enrollment of students in public schools. Registration and transfer procedures continued throughout the summer through four registration centers, which received around 6,700 visitors, ensuring that students from kindergarten through Grade 12 would be enrolled in their schools by the start of the academic year.

The second pillar involved launching a unified reference framework through the issuance and updating of a comprehensive package of guidelines and policies supporting school leadership and administrative work. It also included specialized guides on academic and career counseling, as well as psychological and social support, helping to standardize procedures and enhance the stability of the educational process.

The third pillar focused on early readiness for student programs and activities through the development of a unified central plan for school activities. The plan includes clear implementation, monitoring, and documentation mechanisms, ensuring the launch of extracurricular activities and interactive programs from the first day of school, while integrating the promotion of national identity and values with meeting students' needs.

The fourth pillar concerns strengthening administrative governance and on-site monitoring. School administrative records were electronically restructured on the Microsoft Teams platform into a unified file containing forms approved by most Ministry departments, with the aim of standardizing administrative practices and reducing paperwork for educational staff.

These efforts coincided with monitoring the readiness of school leadership teams, filling vacancies, and carrying out staff transfers in coordination with the relevant authorities, as well as establishing nine evening centers for continuing education students, with registration scheduled to begin in early September.

Regarding the readiness of public schools, the Director of the Schools and Students Affairs Department confirmed that field indicators were progressing according to plan, noting that education consultants were continuing their field visits to follow up on final preparations before the start of the academic year.

As part of efforts to keep pace with urban and population growth, she pointed to the opening of six new public schools equipped with the latest educational resources: Qatar Science and Technology Preparatory and Secondary School for Boys in Al Sakhama; Qatar Science and Technology Secondary School for Girls in Rawdat Al Hamama; Ain Khaled Secondary School for Boys; Doha Preparatory School for Girls; Al Thakhira Primary School for Boys; and Muaither Primary School for Girls.

Regarding services provided to the public, she explained that the registration process had undergone several improvements this year to enhance the user experience. These notably included the 'Personal Profile' service, which allows parents to update their residential information electronically to facilitate school transfer procedures, as well as a new service for registering and transferring students with disabilities through the 'Maaref' portal, a grade-level placement service, and updated guidelines.

These measures helped increase reliance on digital channels, with the Maaref portal receiving approximately 26,738 registration and transfer applications.

Regarding the Ministry's strategy to reduce class sizes, she said that students are assigned to schools according to criteria that take into account the geographical area of their residence and schools' capacity. She noted that the Ministry addressed pressure on schools in densely populated areas by assigning a support team to respond to parents' inquiries and provide guidance, as well as increasing the number of summer registration centers to accommodate applicants and complete procedures early.

Regarding the key lessons learned from the previous academic year, the Director affirmed that the Ministry adopts an approach based on measuring the tangible impact of educational initiatives and programs.

The focus has expanded to evaluating the quality of educational outcomes and their direct impact on students. The digitization of administrative records was aimed at reducing documentation burdens and enhancing the efficiency of school operations.

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has placed particular emphasis on enhancing teaching and leadership competencies and empowering school leaders to perform their roles, as well as providing a safe and supportive learning environment that promotes student well-being and developing the capabilities of administrative and counseling staff and activity specialists.

The Ministry also issued the first edition of the Guidelines for Public School Principals as a reference framework defining their roles and responsibilities and providing a clear roadmap for school principals. It also issued the Administrative Staff Guidelines, which include job descriptions for various administrative and supervisory positions.

Regarding student well-being, the Director affirmed that the Ministry attaches particular importance to students' mental health and to providing a learning environment that supports their well-being through an integrated framework of educational policies governing school operations from kindergarten through Grade 12.

She said the framework includes the Student Behavior Management Policy, the Student Quality of Life Policy, the Programmes and Activities Policy, and the Student Life Protection Policy. Together, these policies seek to provide a safe and stimulating learning environment that safeguards students' dignity and promotes their safety and development in partnership with parents.

As part of efforts to develop academic counseling, Al Buainain explained that the Ministry has worked to enhance the capabilities of academic counselors through specialized programmes implemented in cooperation with relevant partners and entities.

These efforts have contributed to a marked increase in enrollment in the science and technology tracks over the past two years, with the percentage rising from 8% in the 2020-2021 academic year to 10.4% in 2025-2026.

Regarding school activities, she affirmed that the Ministry is working to enhance the capabilities of activity specialists through specialized training workshops and the exchange of best practices among schools.

Concluding her interview with QNA, the Director affirmed that, during the new academic year, support would be tailored to each school based on its actual needs and the findings of field assessments. She stressed that monitoring and evaluation processes would begin in the first week of classes to ensure a strong and successful start to the new academic year.