The education ministry has approved the calendars for the next four academic years.

A new strategy focused on initiatives and objectives through to the year 2030 is soon to be unveiled by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, according to local media.

“We are working on the new education strategy, which is to be announced very soon, mostly this year,” the Undersecretary at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Dr Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Naimi, revealed to the Gulf Times.

The ministry is actively discussing the potential addition of a number of contemporary educational themes to the programme while working on various components of the new strategy.

With a few key elements underpinning it, the new plan will focus on four key topics in particular, the official said. “This will help us guide the education scenario to all the way to 2030 and beyond with very innovative ideas and plans,” he said as quoted by local media.

Students, teachers, the school environment, as well as the services offered by the ministry in the schools are the four areas of concentration, he detailed. The latest strategy, according to Dr Al Naimi, will boost the country’s education sector and aid in advancing the ministry’s goals.

Regarding the new calendar released recently by the same ministry, Dr Al Naimi noted that there are just a few small adjustments in some semesters and that there are no significant changes.

“Normally we announce the calendar for three to four years and it is not anything new. If there is any need for changes, we can always look into it and make necessary adaptations according to the emerging needs on a year to year basis.”

The official said the pre-planned calendars allows parents and students to better prepare and schedule their time in advance and will also better facilitate coordination between private and public schools.

Breakdown of next four academic calendars

Qatar’s school calendar from 2023/2024 to 2026/2027 were approved by the education ministry in January of this year.

In a statement, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education said it laid out the calendars for the next four years as part of its commitment to Qatar National Vision 2030, particularly its pillar of human development through the growth of the country’s population.

This year’s school year, 2023–2024, will begin on August 27 when students will be reporting back to class following the summer break.

One of the changes include moving the second-round exams from the current pre-summer vacation period to the beginning of the school year. 

Three days have also been allocated for training and professional development for staff during the first week of the first semester of every academic year. 

In addition, the ministry designated the first day (Sunday) of the commencement of the second semester’s work (following the mid-year break), provided that students start class on Monday, for employee training and professional development. 

After the midterm tests, the midterm break for the second semester will be cancelled and replaced by the midterm break for the first semester (one week in October) to give students and staff time to rest.

The reasoning is that the second semester includes many official holidays, including Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha holidays, the ministry explained.

The complete four-year academic schedule has been made available for parents and educators online.