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 You hear about it on television, in newspapers, and online. You see it at many local and national events. Yes, it’s true. The Supreme Education Council’s Education for a New Era is moving into its fourth year and the SEC’s Office of Communications is making sure that the reform efforts are top of mind.
Since introducing the ambitious education reform in 2003, the SEC’s Office of Communications has worked diligently and creatively to ensure that all the key stakeholders know about important information, initiatives, innovations and accomplishments. Teachers, students, administrators, policy makers, businesses and Qatari citizens are receiving information about the SEC through every available means of communication.
“It is important that every citizen of Qatar has a way to be connected to the Supreme Education Council and receive the information important to their lives,” says Dr. Nawal Al-Sheikh, the newly appointed Director of Communications. “We use all modes of communication available to reach the people. From the traditional annual reports and our magazine Education for a New Era, to online chats, interactive blogs and major public events, the SEC is visible and accessible to all.”
One of the most effective ways to reach a large audience is through major events that generate large participation and major media coverage. This year, the Office of Communications will host its third annual symposium on education, with a theme of “Illuminating learning with Technology.” The symposium, taking place on March 15, will bring together leaders in education reform from Qatar and around the world. Also, later in the year, the SEC’s Office of Communications will work with His Highness the Heir Apparent to host the second Excellence Day.
Also, look out for the new series of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) on tv, cinema and radio, aimed at attracting the young minds of Qatar to the field of teaching, ensuring teacher retention and elevating the teaching profession to the level it should be at. The PSAs will focus on the true power of teaching and hopefully attract the best and brightest, including men, to teaching.
Beyond special events and PSAs, the Office of Communications has the SEC prominently in cyberspace, a place where more and more people are turning for their information. In addition to the SEC website that contains the most up-to-date information on education in Qatar, the Office of Communications has developed an interactive blog that enables all stakeholders in Qatar’s education system to interact and have their voices heard.
A new interactive initiative is currently being launched to help teachers better communicate with other teachers. The Teachers’ Network will directly connect teachers to other teachers, allowing them to share best practices, get advice from colleagues, engage in important and timely dialogues, and learn more about upcoming workshops, seminars and professional development opportunities.
“The SEC’s Office of Communications is eager to continue to actively and progressively move Qatar’s education reform initiative forward,” says Dr. Al-Sheikh. “Both internally and externally we are dedicated to ensuring that the people of Qatar are educated and informed about the SEC and that we keep the successful and reverberating drumbeat of the reform going.”
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