Qatar’s Ministry of Social Affairs has imposed new rules on the country’s 105 nurseries, requiring, among other things, the businesses to have closed-circuit cameras, a full-time nurse, a children’s library and a social worker for kids with learning disorders.

There are no details on how these new standards will be enforced, or what grace period nurseries will have to make changes, but what is certain is that the majority of Qatar’s babysitting facilities have a lot of work ahead of them.

The Peninsula reports:

(Nejat Al Abdullah, Director of Social Protection Department at the ministry), said nurseries must teach good behaviour to children and teach them Arabic and English languages as well, aside from focusing on inculcating in them religious and social values.

“A nursery should be able to spot talent in a child so that it could be developed for social good,” she said.

(Al Abdullah) urged both Qatari and expatriate parents not to entrust their children with maids while they are out for work and said they must send them to nurseries for safety, security and education.

As a parent, the new rules definitely appeal to me, but seem pretty lofty given the quality of the nurseries here. 

Thoughts?