If you are an expatriate living in Qatar and have an older child, then one of your biggest concerns will be about securing a school seat for them.

Over the years, while the expatriate population in Qatar has swelled, there has not been a subsequent increase in the number of schools in the country.

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEH) in Qatar acknowledged this the other day, with a top official saying at least 42 new private schools were needed at all levels, until 2022, to meet the increasing demand and population growth, reported The Peninsula.

“This number is in addition to the existing 262 schools (KG to 12th standard) teaching 23 different curriculum with a total enrollment of 183,341 students,” said Dr Khalid Mohammed Al Hur, Director of Higher Education Institute at the MoEH.

Meanwhile, another top official said plans were underway to open at least 11 new private schools in the country in the near future.

There are plans to open more private schools across the country, a top official has said.

Ministry of Economy and Commerce’s Economic Policies and Research Department Director Saud Abdullah Al Attiyah said the ministry had launched an initiative to provide 11 plots of land with an area of 15,000sqm across the country, reported Qatar Tribune.

In a TV show broadcast on Qatar TV, he said the schools will come up in Al Daayen, Al Wakrah, Al Rayyan, Al Khor and Al Dhakira municipalities.

A recent report stated that while four plots are located in Al Wakra, two are in Al Khor, and one each in Umm Qarn, Rawdat Al Hamama, Al Ab, Al Thamid and Smaisma.

Potential investors have been invited to present their offers by June 18, which will be closely scrutinized by a joint committee from the MEC and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.

The projects will be managed based on Design, Building, Financing and Operation (DBFO) contracts for educational institutions. Investors who achieve 70% and higher in the evaluation will be eligible. One investor will be selected for each plot. If more than one investor has submitted offers for the same plot, the one who gets a better assessment will be given preference.

This initiative is coming at just the right time as there has been a huge crunch in the number of seats available at schools. A recent report in The Peninsula said that Indian schools had been given a verbal instruction by the Education Ministry to block admission to students from other nationalities. An acute shortage of seats was pointed out as a reason for this restriction.