The government has announced the names of 32 private schools where Qatari students will be entitled to a yearly financial aid of up to QR28,000 ($ 7,671).

The move, critics say, is an admission by the state that its school education reform programme that began with much fanfare early last decade has failed.

On the list of the 32 schools figures some top private schools operating in the country, including the American School of Doha (ASD), Doha College, Cambridge School for Girls as well as the Cambridge School for Boys.

A lone Indian School (MES) is also on the list. The state largesse for Qatari private school students is officially called the ‘coupon system’ by school regulator, the Supreme Education Council (SEC). The coupon system is already applicable to some 177 Independent Schools and has been now been extended to cover 32 private schools that are accredited by the SEC.

To be eligible to be part of the ‘coupon system’ other private schools must work to get accredited by the SEC. There has been enough debate on the issue in the Qatari community with people discussing its pros and cons on social networking sites in the recent past.

Critics maintain that the ‘coupon system’ for private schools is basically aimed at shielding the much-hyped state-backed Independent Schools against increasing public criticism for their failure to impart quality education.

Secondly, according to critics, the move is a clear indication that the government is increasingly inclined to support private schools whose primary aim is to make profit.

“The inclusion of private schools in the coupon system is a clear indication that the government has given up on its much-touted mission of reforming the state school education system,” said a critic.

The move sends out a clear message that the Independent Schools are no good, so Qatari parents who would like to send their children to private schools of their choice, should exercise that option with glee, say critics.

This, in other words, means that the state is giving up on its mission of improving its school education system through the Independent Schools and now wants to promote private schools.

Qatar should actually learn from countries that do not have private schools at all and yet boast one of the best school education systems in the world, argue critics.

They say they wonder how parents are going to decide which private school is better than the other and whether these schools really impart quality education, since for them education is business. Questions are also being raised about the standard of SEC’s accreditation policy. How does one make sure that SEC’s assessment of a private school which is included in the coupon system is fool-proof, ask critics.

What are the criteria that have been fixed by the school regulator (SEC) for a private school to be eligible to be part of the coupon system and whether those criteria are appropriate enough to assess a school’s quality and performance, are some key issues that need to be looked into, argue critics.

What is more worrisome is that the coupon system triggers fears of private schools raising their fees and making Qatari parents cough up QR10,000 to QR12,000 per annum extra.

Qatari parents apart, this would put immense financial strains on expatriate parents.

“Is the SEC then going to make sure that private schools do not raise their fee slabs in the aftermath of their inclusion in the coupon system,” asks a critic.

In a nutshell, it would have been advisable for the government to improve its own school education system and guarantee quality primary, preparatory and secondary education for children rather than shifting the responsibility on profit-oriented private schools, argue critics.

As a critic sarcastically put it, “With the coupon system for private schools in place, at least there wouldn’t be complaints about the Independent Schools on Qatar Radio any more.”

Referring to the popular call-in programme ‘Good Morning, Qatar!’ aired on Qatar Radio daily, the critic said that earlier when the concept of the coupon system was not quite clear people used to call in the radio programme wondering who would be eligible for it.

And now that it has been made clear that the system is applicable to all Qatari students of private schools such complaints would cease, he said. “It’s a tactical move by the government to silence critics of the school education system.”