Doha - Private schools are free to decide their holiday and the Ministry of Education would not object if these schools want to change or reschedule their annual vacation, a senior official from the Private Education Department has said. Hamad Ali Al Sulaiti, director of the department was responding to a query from The Peninsula about a proposal by some Asian private schools to reschedule their next summer holidays from July and August to August and September.
The idea raised by a joint forum of the principals of Asian private schools in Qatar was to club the summer and Eid Al Adha holidays next year, since Eid would come immediately after summer. Official sources from these schools recently told The Peninsula that the proposal would be submitted to the Ministry of Education for its approval.
" We have not so far received any request in this regard. However, our department would not have any objection if the schools want to change their holidays," said Al Sulaiti. Masood Ali Mubarak, Inspector of Private Schools, however, told The Peninsula yesterday that he had already received a request from the schools and it would be forwarded to the Ministry soon.
"All Asian private and community schools, excluding the two Philippine schools have agreed on the proposal. The proposal is being submitted to the Ministry because the schools need to take a uniform stand on the issue. The idea is to close the schools in the third week of July and re-open after the Eid holidays on a date agreed by all the schools concerned," said Mubarak.
Asked if delaying of the holidays would not force students to attend the school in the hot weather in July, he said, "It is up to the schools to decide."
Most Asian schools in Qatar normally start their summer holidays from early July, but there are other schools that are already following a different schedule, with their vacation beginning from the second or third week of July. Mubrak said the proposed change in the holidays is all likely to be implemented, since most Asian schools have agreed on it. It would affect the travel plans of a major segment of the expatriate families in Qatar. Mubarak said, bout 30,000 students have been studying in the Asian schools representing mainly the Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Philippine communities.
By Mohammed Iqbal
© The Peninsula 2008
