Education for a New Era Magazine

Welcome to Education for a New Era, the Supreme Education Council’s new bi-monthly magazine. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because we share our title with Qatar’s three-year-old program to reform its education system from kindergarten through grade 12. Our mission is to update you, the reader, on the progress of reform and we invite you to share your views and comments. As Qatar moves towards preparing its students with a world-class education, we seek to engage teachers, students, parents and the broader community in its success.

We want to hear from you. Send your letters to us at the P.O. box or the email address given below, or log on to our Web site and post your opinions in the blog section of the site. Together we can learn from each other. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any comments and thoughts.

Jan  2008
The new look December issue features summaries of the findings of how students in Qatar performed in two international tests -  the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). The new Acting Director of the Higher Education Institute gives us highlights of the role of the Higher Education Institute while an expert SEC member tells us about reform in general.
June 2007
In this issue, we reflect on the SEC's accomplishments in an article on an upcoming report that tells the story of the reform starting with its inception and going through 2006. It details the progress that has been made and reflects on the challenges faced. In our interview with Sheikh Faisal bin Fahd Al Thani, he reflects on the importance of instilling research skills in students to help develop the nation.
March 2007
In this issue you will read an interview with HE Sheikha Al-Mahmoud, Minister of Education and Secretary General of the SEC, in which she talks about the future of public education in Qatar and all of the changes that are underway. You will get a glimpse of the ambitious e-education strategy of the SEC and ictQATAR, and learn about our exciting plans for our March 15 symposium on innovative uses of technology in education.
June 2006
“The new rules were never designed to squeeze the operators, but rather to give their work legal authority,” explains Sabah Al-Haidoos, the Education Institute director in an interview with Education for a New Era magazine while discussing the reasoning behind the new rules for operators, getting used to life without textbooks, and the importance of Islamic studies in the Independent Schools. Other topics discussed include the effect of The Doha Debates on the classroom scene; the need to make the teaching occupation more professional; and how an office in the SEC helps teachers improve their skills on-site.
April 2006
Assessment and creativity aren’t terms immediately associated with one another. On the contrary: one imagines systematic evaluation as snuffing out most creative initiative. But they are two of the main themes of this second issue of Education for a New Era, the SEC’s new bi-monthly publication. As articles inside reflect, creative thinking, a critical aspect of Independent Schools, was the topic of this year’s annual symposium to mark the third anniversary of Qatar’s education reform drive.
February 2006
This first issue focuses both on the big picture of reform as well as some of the finer points of the changes. Many of the articles address topics the educational community has expressed interest in, including Independent School funding, professional contracts, and scholarship programs for higher education. Future issues of the magazine will look at other areas of reform such as test results and school report cards.