Doha, August 25 (QNA) - The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) on Tuesday organized the Annual Educational Meeting for the 2026-2027 academic year, at the Qatar National Convention Centre, in the presence of HE Minister of Education and Higher Education Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater.
The meeting aims to enhance the quality of education and consolidate a culture of cooperation, exchange of expertise and best practices among partners in the educational process, following sustained efforts and integrated institutional work undertaken by the Ministry and school leaderships, during which all capabilities and resources were mobilized to ensure a strong and distinguished start to the new academic year.
In a speech, HE MOEHE's Undersecretary Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi affirmed that the Ministry continues to work on developing the education system and enhancing its readiness and flexibility in a manner that keeps pace with present requirements and anticipates the future, stressing that the student represents the ultimate purpose of the educational process, while the teacher is at the heart of its success.
He said that rapid transformations in the nature of knowledge and work require shifting the focus from the question of what to teach children? to asking how to prepare them for the future and empower them to deal with its changes with confidence and awareness.
He explained that the meeting's theme is based on three pillars that reflect the Ministry's vision for education in the coming phase. The first, people first, regards the student as the ultimate purpose of the educational process and the teacher as the cornerstone of its success. 
Authenticity, he stressed, represents a source of strength that gives students a solid foundation from which they can engage with the world confidently, while maintaining pride in their identity and values. 
Digitalization, meanwhile, he added, represents empowerment through the tools it provides to enhance learning and creativity and support adaptation to the requirements of the knowledge economy.
HE Al Nuaimi noted that a successful start to the academic year is a shared responsibility that begins with the family by preparing students psychologically, organizing their daily routines, and ensuring active parental involvement and continuous follow-up, thereby strengthening confidence, reassurance and partnership between the family and the school.
He affirmed that students' safety and health remain among the top priorities through integrated efforts to ensure the safety of roads, school transportation and school surroundings, as well as support for students' physical and mental health, noting that readiness for the academic year represents an integrated national effort involving the Ministry, schools, families and various state institutions.
In this context, HE Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi explained that the previous academic year provided an important experience that practically demonstrated the importance of readiness and flexibility amid the exceptional circumstances witnessed by the region, noting that the Ministry sought to balance the continuity of students' education with safeguarding their safety and that of educational staff.
He affirmed that continuity of education is a national priority, explaining that when circumstances required a transition to distance learning and the implementation of some assessments electronically, technology demonstrated its value as a tool for ensuring the continuity of the educational process. Educational and administrative personnel also demonstrated their ability to respond and adapt efficiently and responsibly.
He stressed the importance of building on the experience gained during that period and transforming it into sustainable institutional capacity that makes schools more prepared and flexible, teachers more empowered, and technologies more effective in contributing to the quality of education and the student experience.
He said that the questions that should concern the educational field include how to transform what has been learned into sustainable institutional capacity, make schools more prepared and flexible, empower teachers to perform their roles more effectively, and employ technology to enhance the quality of education and enrich the student experience.
HE Al Nuaimi noted that the annual educational meeting is part of the Back to School campaign, which goes beyond the traditional concept of preparing for the start of the academic year to provide a broader space for communication with students, their families and the educational community through a range of programs, initiatives and activities.
He highlighted the launch this year of the "First Step" initiative, in partnership with Rafeeq, targeting first-grade primary school students, based on the importance of the first school experience in shaping a child's relationship with learning and their sense of safety, belonging and responsibility.
The meeting also includes training workshops related to the needs of the educational field, focusing on practical application and the exchange of experiences, in addition to interactive activities implemented as part of the "Back to School" campaign to reach students and their families and prepare them to welcome the new academic year with enthusiasm and readiness.
HE the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education affirmed that the true measure of the success of the plans, programs and objectives with which the Ministry begins the academic year lies in what happens inside the school and classroom, and in the student's daily experience, with a positive impact on students' academic achievement and progress.
He said that education does not change through plans alone, but through what is transformed from those plans into practice, whether through a decision taken by a school leader that contributes to creating a better learning environment, a teacher who develops their methods to make students more enthusiastic about learning, or an initiative that gives a student an opportunity to discover their abilities and strengthen their self-confidence.
He called on every school leader and every teacher to begin the academic year by asking, what impact will I make this year on students' experience and learning?
He affirmed that the Ministry's ambition for the nation's children goes beyond preparing them for the jobs of the future to empowering them to participate in shaping the future and compete globally with merit and capability.
He added that a student may forget some of what they learned after years, but will not forget a teacher who believed in their abilities, a school that gave them confidence, or an experience that made them feel capable of succeeding, stressing that this human dimension of education is something no technology, regardless of how advanced it becomes, can replace.
HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi concluded his speech by stressing the importance of making the new academic year one that opens broader opportunities for students to learn, excel and participate in building the future of their country.
On the sidelines of the Annual Educational Meeting for the 2026-2027 academic year, a dialogue session was held to discuss a number of educational, pedagogical and technology-related issues. 
The session was moderated by Director of the Public Relations and Communication Department at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) Maryam Abdullah Al Muhannadi.
HE Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Center for Wellbeing (Al Hayat Al Tayiba) Sheikha Dr. Hessa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani affirmed that respect represents the foundation for building an enlightened human being, stressing the importance of consolidating civilizational values and guiding individuals toward their goal of achieving perfection and personal advancement.
In remarks during the annual educational meeting, she said that building the human being is based on a clear objective founded on respect and respect for various civilizational values, pointing to the importance of having clear guidance and solid spiritual foundations.
She explained that the educational environment should be viewed as a sanctuary in which every individual performs their role, noting that the teacher carries out their mission in this sanctuary, as do the student and those responsible for education, reflecting the sacred nature of the responsibility entrusted to everyone in building the human being.
HE Sheikha Dr. Hessa stressed the importance of viewing the student as a human being with feelings and a heart, rather than merely a recipient of knowledge, calling for attention to their emotions and discovering what brings them joy and motivates them to learn.
For her part, Assistant Undersecretary for Digital Government Affairs at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology Mashael Ali Al Hammadi affirmed that the success of digital transformation in the education sector is not measured by the number of platforms and applications used, but rather by the impact technology has in improving the experience of students and teachers and enhancing the quality of the educational process.
In an intervention during the session, Al Hammadi said that technology has become a reality in everyone's life, and that the challenge lies in how to make use of it in a way that serves people, who represent the core and ultimate purpose of the educational process, and achieves the desired objectives of digital transformation.
She explained that the State of Qatar possesses the technological capabilities, platforms and programs that enable it to achieve advanced results, but the more important question concerns the impact this development has on people and their educational experience.
She noted that the digital transformation ecosystem in education encompasses all parties involved in the educational process, beginning with government entities that require accurate information and data to implement educational plans, and decision-makers who need sufficient data to make appropriate decisions, through to universities, educational institutions and the private sector.
For his part, Director General of Pre-University Continuing Education at Qatar Foundation Jameel Kteim Al Shammari affirmed that the human being represents the fundamental pillar of the educational process, stressing the importance of the role of the school and its leader in building an institutional culture that contributes to preparing a student who possesses values, authenticity and the ability to keep pace with rapidly changing developments.
Al Shammari said that the student is the core of the educational process, but this does not negate the importance of the roles played by the teacher, school leader and other elements of the educational system in supporting and guiding the student.
He explained that the school is what makes the difference in the educational process and that the role of the school leader is essential in building the institutional culture within the school. 
He pointed out that a school leader's possession of a clear vision and their ability to build strong human relationships with employees, students, parents, the community, and partners from various institutions and ministries represent an important foundation for the success of the educational process.
He noted that this vision is reflected in the school's institutional culture, stressing the importance of the school leader serving as a role model for teachers and students and playing a direct role in programs, initiatives, classroom and extracurricular activities, and their evaluation.
He added that effective leadership, whether through initiatives, transformational leadership or other approaches, contributes to preparing students who are capable of keeping pace with the times and its rapid changes while preserving their values and authenticity.
He pointed to the rapidly evolving challenges posed by technology, stressing the need to guide students toward the proper use of technology and benefiting from it in ways that enhance their capabilities and enable them to keep pace with the requirements of the times.
As part of efforts to attract Qatari talent to the teaching profession and enhance the status of Qatari teachers, MOEHE honored 25 male and female teachers from the seventh cohort of the "Tamheen" program, which is dedicated to qualifying and attracting Qatari graduates who do not hold educational qualifications to work in the teaching profession, reflecting a national-oriented approach.
The Annual Educational Meeting also included the Ministry of Education and Higher Education honoring its partners in the "Back to School" campaign. (QNA)