Doha, September 27 (QNA) - The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) has announced a series of new regulatory decisions and facilitations.

The aim of which is to boost investments in the private education sector and provide a more flexible investment environment, thereby contributing to improving educational service quality and sustainability.

Under the theme 'towards a flexible investment environment and sustainable quality education' the 1st forum for private school and kindergarten license holders was held Sunday, serving as a platform for direct dialogue between the Ministry's executive leadership and license holders.

Discussions covered newly introduced procedures related to licensing, tuition fees, capacity, staff recruitment, and educational vouchers, as well as plans to automate supervisory processes and update regulatory policies and guidelines.

Based on field studies and analyses of the sector's current conditions, MOEHE said that the new facilitations cover seven key areas aimed at streamlining procedures, removing obstacles for investors, and attracting high-quality investments, while maintaining standards of quality, safety, and academic performance.

Director of the Ministry's Private Schools and Kindergartens Department and Acting Director of its Private Schools Licensing Department, Dr. Rania Yousry Mohamed said that MOEHE is adopting a flexible approach that supports investors and contributes to the development of private education.

She noted that the new package represents a significant step toward strengthening the partnership with the private sector and meeting the growing demand for educational services.

Dr. Rania pointed out that the facilitations include licensing, whereby the validity of licenses issued by relevant authorities will be unified, making licenses valid for three-year, with the exception of the annual traffic approval.

The validity period of the traffic safety license for private schools and kindergartens will also be extended to three years, reducing the administrative burden associated with annual renewals, she added.

As for tuition fees, Dr. Rania said that school financial classification has been updated to reflect operational realities, with new categories introduced, including schools with low and medium tuition fees, with the latter divided into two tiers, in addition to a high-fee category.

Under the capacity framework, the Ministry announced that schools in the first tier of the medium-fee category will be allowed to increase their capacity by 10 percent as part of the social responsibility project. A classroom space standard of 1.7 square meters per student has also been approved, raising overall capacity by 18 percent without the need for construction expansions.

The decision will benefit 46 schools offering 10 different curricula and will provide an additional 6,883 student places, including 688 places allocated to students benefiting from support and social responsibility initiatives, MOEHE noted.

With regard to staffing and oversight, schools are no longer required to wait for the Ministry's approval or staff nomination, MOEHE said. Schools will instead be authorized to recruit and appoint staff directly in accordance with approved staffing structures, while the Ministry's role will be limited to field supervision and oversight. This measure is intended to accelerate the process of meeting schools' human-resource needs.

As part of its support for distinguished educational projects, the Ministry announced the introduction of a specialized schools category for investment projects offering academic programs and non-traditional facilities. Any future increases in tuition fees will be linked to the investment and academic value added by the school, with increases of up to 30 percent potentially granted to schools that achieve the highest levels of compliance with the approved quality standards.

Regarding developing regulatory procedures, the Ministry explained that it has updated a number of regulatory guidelines, including the procedures and regulations guide, the staff qualifications analysis guide, and the school food requirements guide. It has also launched an electronic mind map system to automate field visits and inspection processes and enhance the efficiency of monitoring and oversight.

MOEHE also indicated that it has restructured the educational voucher system, allowing newly established schools to receive educational vouchers from the start of direct operations in the 2027/2028 academic year, provided they meet readiness and accreditation requirements, instead of having to wait four years.

Educational vouchers will also continue to be provided without interruption to schools that relocate to new buildings, while eligibility will be expanded to include new and existing private kindergartens in accordance with a set of approved criteria.

The Ministry sees the private education sector as a strategic partner in developing the education system and building human capabilities, she said, affirming MOEHE's continued efforts to create an attractive investment environment that supports the delivery of high-quality educational services and strengthens the State of Qatar's position as a leading regional hub for education. (QNA)