Doha, September 28 (QNA) - The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE), in collaboration with the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science and the UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education, on Monday launched the program to implement the Arab Model for Quality and Excellence in Education and train educational leaders.

The launch event was attended by HE Minister of Education and Higher Education Lolwah bint Rashid bin Mohammed Al Khater, alongside several officials, representatives of international organizations, educational leaders and specialized personnel.

HE Undersecretary of MOEHE Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi said the launch of the model is the epitome of a joint Arab effort and an ambitious vision to promote education systems and keep abreast of rapid changes.

Quality has become an integrated institutional approach grounded in meticulous planning, performance efficiency, continuous measurement, and data- and evidence-based decision-making, Al Nuaimi underlined, stating that this respects the peculiarities of Arab nations and capitalizes on the best global practices.

The Undersecretary highlighted that Qatar puts education enhancement at the forefront of its national priorities, in alignment with Qatar National Vision 2030 and MOEHE's Strategy 2024-2030.

He showcased the meritorious outcomes the nation has achieved in international evaluations, including Qatar's top ranking among Arab countries in the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), as well as the progress made in the TIMSS and PISA cycles.

HE Al Nuaimi underscored the importance of the accompanying training program in empowering educational leaders and staff and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

  For his part, HE Director General of the UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education in Saudi Arabia and member of the Higher Supervisory Committee of the model, Dr. Abdulrahman bin Ibrahim Al Medaires, said the presence of the model in Qatar is a watershed moment in turning Arab educational agreements into field practices within educational institutions.

He praised Doha's hosting of the event after it witnessed the adoption of the model during the Conference of Arab Ministers of Education in January 2025.

Al Medaires called for deepening quality as a preventive and continuous path for investment in people, with a particular emphasis on building knowledge and skills and prioritizing early childhood.

HE Director-General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) and member of the Higher Supervisory Committee of the model, Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, hailed the hosting and emphasized that education quality has become a strategic issue tethered to building human capital and the capability to innovate and keep up with artificial intelligence, as well as rapid technological advancements.

UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Prof. Qun Chen said the Arab Model represents a practical framework for supporting the development of education systems in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4).

He noted that the world faces a shortage of more than 44 million teachers, including 4 million in the Arab region.

Assistant Director-General of the UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education and a member of the Higher Supervisory Committee, Dr. Fatima Al Ruwais, explained that the model aligns with the best global standards, targets 22 Arab countries, and is based on four main pillars: forward-looking vision (15 percent), governance and performance management (15 percent), educational performance (30 percent), and outcomes (40 percent).

She noted that it comprises 19 standards covering the education system and placing the empowered learner who preserves their identity at the center of its attention.

Al Ruwais highlighted the launch of the "The Teacher We Want" initiative and the organization of an educational workshop from Oct. 5 to 8 to examine the standards and specifications for the teacher of the future, stressing the aspiration to transform the Arab Model in the future into a global quality indicator through shared Arab leadership. (QNA)