Thousands of Qatari students who have recently failed their secondary exams will not have their tests reevaluated, Qatar’s Minister of Education and Higher Education told a crowd of dismayed parents last night.

Addressing the dozens of adults who gathered at the SEC building to complain about the results, Dr. Mohammed Abdul Wahed Ali Al Hammadi said, according to Qatar Tribune:

“I know that parents are frustrated because of their children’s failure in the second round test, but there is always a next time.”

Earlier this week, the SEC reported that some 12 percent – or 7,333 individuals – of fourth to eleventh graders failed the first phase of their exams, which were taken in early July. About 88 percent of those tested, or 52,077, passed.

No nepotism

But almost 40 percent of students who sat for the second round of the General Secondary Certificate failed, the minister confirmed. He added that there was no room for nepotism, favoritism or manipulation of the test results, as it harms the educational system, Qatar Tribune reports.

Some angry parents, however, are threatening to sue for a reevaluation of their children’s results, calling the situation an “injustice” and saying the SEC had the exams graded “without any mercy.”

The rising number of exam failures is the latest woe facing Qatar’s secondary education system, which has been struggling to revamp itself from years.

According to educators, some of the biggest problems facing government-funded independent schools are a shortage of qualified educators and the great number of unruly children.

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo for illustrative purposes only courtesy of SEC on Twitter