DOHA: With a professional licence being made mandatory for all school teachers and leaders in the country, schols and the teaching community are busy preparing to abide by the new system.
More than 5,000 school teachers and leaders have already registered with the Supreme Education Council (SEC) seeking the licence, ahead of the July 31 deadline set for the online registration, the SEC has said.
The licence has been made mandatory for all teachers and school leaders, including those in private schools.
Sources from some private schools said yesterday that they had been asked by the SEC to form special committees to coordinate the registration process and familiarize the teachers on the rules and procedures.
“The SEC is calling each school separately to explain the details and we are waiting for our turn,” said the principal of an expatriate school.
The new licensing system is aimed at raising the teaching standards in Qatar and the applicants should meet the National Professional Standards for School Teachers and Leaders to qualify for a licence, a senior SEC official said.
“Granting of the licence is based on evidence, scientific and practical qualifications, practices and skills possessed by the teacher and leader, based on National Professional Standards for School Teachers and Leaders,” said Noor alhuda Al Rashid, director of the Qatar Office of Registration, Licensing and Accreditation (QORLA).
The standards ensure that teachers have mastery over the subjects they teach, a deep understanding of the structure and real-world applications of the subject. They also ensure that leaders have the drive and ability to set clear parameters and expectations, as well as assess the performance of their employees.
Al Rashid said a total of 5067 school leaders and teachers had electronically completed registration procedures to obtain professional licenses.
A special committee set up by QORLA will examine the files that have met the registration conditions. The eligible applicants will be granted a provisional licence in the first stage.
This temporary professional licence is mandatory to practice teaching or school leadership in the country.
“Obtaining the professional licence is the first of three phases beginning from the temporary licence and completes with the full licence. The standards of data certification is the same for all applicants, giving the opportunity for all school staff who are covered by the license to provide their portfolios to obtain them,” explained Al Rashid.
QORLA, in collaboration with a team from Qatar National Education Database System (QNEDS), has developed an electronic file of professional achievements (e-portfolio) for teachers and school leaders seeking a temporary professional licence.
The applicants are required to attach the evidence in support of their learning experiences and relating to their career, educational qualifications, the evaluation report, personal statements and other necessary information.
© The Peninsula 2010
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