Doha - An old community school will be shifted soon following an order by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to close its existing premises. The ministry has also cancelled the licence granted to the operator of another private school.
The Minister for Education and Higher Education, H E Sheikha Ahmed Al Mahmoud, on Wednesday issued a ministerial decision cancelling the licence granted to the operator of Al Manahil Private Schools for boys and girls and shutting down the premises of Pak Shama School for the academic year 2008-2009.
The ministerial decision said the premises of the two schools contravened the safety norms stipulated by the ministry.
The decision said the ministry will be coordinating with the management of Pak Shama School to provide an alternative, safe building for the school to shift to.
However, an official of the Pak Shama School told The Peninsula yesterday they had not received any letter from the ministry.
As for the students of Al Manahil Private Schools, the ministerial decision said they would be accommodated in government schools. However, non-Qatari students will be kept in these schools only for the first term of the current academic year. Their parents will have to look for other schools to admit their children in for the second term.
Meanwhile, the ministry has also begun providing hearing tests for newly joined students in schools.
The service was earlier offered through Hamad Medical Corporation's (HMC) Primary Health Centres. The tests were moved to the schools in order to reduce crowding at the HMC facilities.
Khalid Abdul Hadi, Head of HMC's Audiology and Balance Unit, said 353 students had been screened so far.
By Mohamed Salem
© The Peninsula 2008
