Decision to close a private school confuses parents
Published: 31 August 2024
NT Bureau
Doha
Parents of students enrolled at a school for health professions in Qatar were surprised by an email from the school administration on Thursday evening, informing them that the current academic year is the last for the school, after it was decided to close it by a decision from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Al Sharq has reported.
“This harms the interests of more than 400 students at the school,” the report said.
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education decided to terminate the contract with the operator of Michael E DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar, which necessitated changing its name to “The International School of Medical Sciences and Engineering”.
“Many parents expressed their dissatisfaction with this decision, demanding that it be reversed, especially since Mi-chael E DeBakey High School is the only private school in the country specializing in medical sciences. They said that closing the school will negatively affect students, especially those in the tenth grade, who will not find a suitable alter-native, which means that their efforts over the previous years may be in vain,” the daily said in its report.
The Ministry confirmed, according to the school administration’s message sent to parents, that the academic programs for the 2024-2025 academic year and the educational experience provided at the school will remain unchanged, while ensuring that all faculty members are retained, based on the Ministry’s commitment to providing exceptional educa-tional services that are worthy of our students.
However, it clearly indicated that the 2024-2025 academic year is the school’s last academic year.
Parents told Al Sharq that after they had prepared for the start of the academic year next Sunday, they received this decision, which shocked them, given the lack of time and the options and alternatives available to them to transfer their children from school, especially since they had finished all the preparations for the new year.
