Education

What should I know about Schooling in Doha?

We have full access and priority for our children from kindergarten to grade 9  the Qatar Canadian School.  Based just 3 km from the CNA-Q Duhail campus, the Qatar Canadian School was established for the children of CNA-Q employees. QCS tries to hold spaces for all CNAQ employees’ children up to and including grade 9.  It is best to contact them as early as possible as most planning for the fall is done in May and June.  All new CNA-Q employees should contact the principal to discuss their child(ren)’s enrolment. For further information on the school refer to:  www.qcs.edu.qa

The other State approved school here in Doha is Qatar Academy (QA).  Qatar Academy is part of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, a private, chartered, non-profit organization founded by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa AL-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar. Qatar Academy enrolls children from per Kindergarten to Grade 12.  Qatar Academy is fully accredited by the U.S. based New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and the Counsel of International Schools.  For further information on Qatar Academy refer to :  www.qataracademy.edu.qa 

If your child(ren) will be enrolling in grade 10-12, your first option will be Qatar Academy.  Should your child(ren) not obtain a placement there then you will have to determine the best schooling option. A suggested list of schools and their contact information is provided below.  You will need to do some research in order to     choose amongst the different curriculum:  British National; American;  International Baccalaureate (IB); Choueifat;  and local Qatar State Education. 

What are the entrance requirements?

With such a demand for spaces, schools have stringent entrance requirements.  The process usually includes: completion of an application;  review of report cards from your child’s last three school years; assessment tests in math, English (and sometimes science) which the applicants writes after the application is received; and often an oral interview.

The Qatar Canadian School does not require an assessment test; however, it does want the last two years of schooling including the last Canadian school attended, a high level of English mastery and proof of Canadian citizenship. They cannot at this time take children with obvious physical, behavioural or learning disabilities as they do not have the resources needed. Schools will not consider your child for admission until you have arrived in Doha and completed all of the required admission documents.  School registrars tend to select students who are academically inclined and require no learning support.  Most entrance exam testing is administered in the spring or beginning of second term. 

CNA-Q will pay for this testing at Qatar Academy, but not at other schools.  Fees for the testing can range in price 200QR at British Schools to 500QR at the American School.  

Tuition amounts paid by CNA-Q

Education Entitlement:

·         Dependent children (to a maximum of two children per family) are entitled to receive state – funded education at Qatar Canadian School (QCS) or at Qatar Academy (QA).

·         Employees whose dependent children are ineligible for admission at both Qatar Canadian School and Qatar Academy shall receive compensation to offset the tuition costs and associated fees of a State of Qatar approved alternative education plan. 

·         * Employees electing to send their child(ren) to a private school will not be entitled to any subsidy or alternative compensation.

Tuition Expenses:

·         *CNAQ will pay tuition up to the equivalent amount at Qatar Academy.  Parents must submit documentation that their child has been rejected at QA and at QCS. 

·          CNAQ will pay tuition expenses in excess of the QA fee structure for grades 10 through 12 when QA is not accepting students in those grades (full enrollment) and the QCS does not offer such grades.

No funds will be disbursed to parents. The State of Qatar pays all funds directly to the school. Parents are responsible for the cost of uniforms and related expenses.

Suggested Schools offering Grades 10 - 12

Qatar Academy
Tel: +974 4826666
Website: www.qataracademy.edu.qa

American School of Doha
Tel: +974 4421377
Email: asdoha@qatar.net.qa
Website: www.asd.edu.qa

Doha College Secondary School
Tel: +974 4687379
Email: enquires@dohacollege.com
Website: www.dohacollege.com

DeBakey High School
Tel: +974 4999851
Email: abell@debakeyatqatar.com
Website: www.debakeyatqatar.com

Qatar International School
Tel: +974 4833456
Email: arid@qis.org
Website: www.qis.org

Park House English School
Tel: +974 4683800
Email: phes@qatar.net.qa
Website: www.parkhouseschool.com

Qatar Academy
Tel: +974 4826666
Website: www.qataracademy.edu.qa

The International School of Choueifat
Tel: +974 4933110
Website: www.iscdoha-sabis.net

 The Gulf English School
Tel: +974 4873865 Email: phes@qatar.net.qa
Website: www.gulfenglishschool.com

Other schooling option

1.         Home schooling
Parents who choose to home school their dependant children (K-12) will be requested to submit a letter of intent to HR. The State of Qatar will cover costs that parents incur on a reimbursement basis upon the submission of receipts. The total allotted funds for an academic year will not exceed over and above the set tuition at Qatar Academy. Additional requirements and/or cost will be at the parents’ expense.

The following will be reimbursed: 

·         books/course materials

·         shipping of school materials to Doha

·         school supplies

Items not reimbursed include the following:

·         computer

·         internet connection

·         tutor(s)

·         extra-curricular activities

Doha Home Educators - This group is an independent and secular support group that is open to all home schoolers. The support group is a great place to find out how to begin, share ideas, ask questions, announce educational activities and events happening in Doha, Qatar.

To join the support group go to: http://dohahomeeducators.wordpress.com/

 2.         Schools for special needs

The Shafallah Center provides services to individuals with developmental and learning challenges, their families, and the community. The Learning Center also offers a number of special needs programs for students from Grade 1-11, including those for gifted children.

Shalfallah Center
Tel: +974 4956666
Email: info@shafallah.org.qa
Website: www.shafallah.org.qa

Learning Center
Tel: +974 4927888
Email: tlc@qf.org.qa
Website: www.qf.org.qa

Health Care Information

Living in the Middle East can provide some experiences which will be different to those encountered in the Western World. Health care will not be any different.

This information is intended to help create an awareness of some health challenges one might encounter while living in Qatar. It provides links to some resources and provides some recommendations to make living with those challenges easier.

Allergies and Sensitivities
Qatar is a desert country. Temperatures are at times very high, annual rainfall is very low and the air can be very dusty. However, at most times of the year the conditions are very pleasant. Be aware that climate conditions can trigger flare-ups of respiratory conditions such as Asthma. Should this happen and medical attention be necessary, a competent Qatar Health Care System is accessible with ease.

For those with documented allergies such as to peanuts, every effort is made to create an environment free of allergens. Should an allergy be severe enough for one to carry an EpiPen (Epinephrine), it is advisable to bring it with you from your home country. In Qatar, both the junior and adult forms of this medication are available at some of the hospital pharmacies but are not available at the community pharmacies. Should one wish to bring an EpiPen from home, check the expiry date on the package to ensure the date extends until the date when you will be returning home.

Perfumes and cigarette smoke are common in the Middle East cultures and sometimes create challenges for those with sensitivities. Be reminded that the evolution of scent free and smoke free environments in the Western World happened after many years of research and education. The Middle East is involved in a similar journey. At this point, advancements in initiatives have not reached the same level as those in the Western World. However, an effort to educate the people to the associated health risks is ongoing and evident through such activities as the ‘Anti-Tobacco Campaign’.

Availability of Medical Services
The State of Qatar offers a very comprehensive, competent and accessible health care system both in the private and public sectors (inclusive of Dental and Ophthalmology services). For more information visit www.nha.org.qa

Employees will be guided by Human Resources to make application to receive health cards for the employee and their dependant family members as they become eligible within the Qatar residency process.
InterGlobal is the present health care insurance provider for CNA-Q. Employees, inclusive of dependant family members, become active within the policy upon the date of departure from the home country. InterGlobal provides ongoing health insurance for employees and dependants while living in Qatar and while visiting other countries including the home country. Details of the plan are provided upon arrival at CNA-Q, including a comprehensive list of health care facilities (within Qatar and in other countries) offering a ‘direct billing’ service.

Current Immunization Schedule in State of Qatar
Visit www.hmc.org.qa and under the main menu click on ‘Immunization’. Look under related links and click on ‘Schedule for your baby’. Here you may view the immunization schedule for your child plus more.

International Travel Vaccinations
Living in Qatar provides great opportunities for world travel.
The Center of Disease Control and Prevention – Traveler’s Health provides a good resource for information on international travel including vaccinations recommended and required for various countries. To view this information, visit http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/ Employees are encouraged to become aware of their vaccination needs as travel is planned. Vaccination clinics are available in Qatar. Questions may be addressed at CNA-Q to both the Campus Nurse and Occupational Health & Safety Nurse. However, it is recommended to visit an International Travel Clinic in your country at least 6 – 8 weeks prior to departure. This allows time to obtain the necessary vaccines and the time to develop immunity following vaccination.
Take note that vaccination for Yellow Fever is required for travel to some locations in Africa as well as some locations in other countries. It is advisable to be alert to this information.

Anti-malarial medication is recommended for some areas of travel with the medication of choice being Malarone (atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride). It is advisable to discuss choice of anti-malarials with a physician due to malaria resistance in various regions. Ones
choice of anti-malarial may not always be available in Qatar thus it is advisable to bring the medication with you.

As transmission of malaria is via a malaria parasite-infected mosquito, it is recommended to use a mosquito repellent in addition to anti-malarials. Those containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) are very effective but are unavailable in many countries. There are precautions to be aware of when using DEET. Ask your pharmacist or physician about them. It is advisable to bring this product with you if needed.
Malaria is not a risk in Qatar.

Prescription Medications
There are many pharmacies in Qatar and availability of prescription medication is very good. However some medication may not be available. It is strongly advised to check the availability of any regular prescription medication one may be taking that could potentially be unavailable in Qatar. In the event that a medication is unavailable, it is advisable to bring a supply to last until returning to the home country. Help in determining availability of medication in Qatar can be accessed by contacting the InterGlobal 24 hour international help line:            +649 356 2276 or by emailing sdebrass@amwalga.com

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
EAP is available to CNA-Q Employees and families. Details of the program are available via the Intranet, Human Resources (Occupational Health & Safety) plus from the Campus Nurse and Occupational Health Nurse on campus.

Resources Available at CNA-Q Campus
CNA-Q has a full time Campus Nurse promoting Health & Wellness and is an excellent resource for direction of health care needs. There is also an Occupational Health & Safety Nurse promoting a healthy and safe CNA-Q environment.

In Case of Emergency
The emergency number is Qatar is 999. Ensure to state the nature of your emergency and your location when placing the call.

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Revised May, 2010