Several independent and affordable kindergartens being set up across the country are giving a tough time to the established ones affiliated to leading private schools. Parents are benefiting from a search engine provided by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education on its website to identify the KGs and schools of their choice. The search tool provides detailed information about all private schools and kindergartens including their fee structure, curriculum and facilities.
Many parents The Peninsula spoke to said that they are planning to shift their children to the “affordable” KGs, irked by the huge fees at several school-affiliated KGs. They say that most independent kindergartens are cheaper by more than 50 percent compared to those at international schools despite that some of them follow the same curriculum. The Ministry’s search tool helps parents and guardians to find seats for their children in private schools of their choice. The service is available in Arabic and English under http://www.edu.gov.qa/En/ServicesCenter/PSO/Pages/default.aspx.
“I found a very affordable kintergarten with British curriculum behind Wathnan Mall, Muaither on the search tool of the Ministry,” said a female teacher. The total annual fee of this kindergarten is QR11,300 including the charges for registration, uniform and textbooks.
“My daughter was with me in my school in a crèche. Now she is in the age of KG. The KG fee in my school is about QR30,000 per year; QR25,000 tuition fees, QR3,000 registration, QR800 for uniform and QR500 for text books, including others. So I decided to admit my daughter in the new KG. I took the number from the contacts available in the Ministry search tool. I was told that registration for next year will begin next month,” she added. Another woman teacher also said that kindergartens at international schools are expensive compared to independent KGs especially those in Doha suburbs.
“I got a seat for my child in a kindergarten in Ain Khaled, not in my own school because there it is very expensive. Their fees are about QR12,000 per year including registration fees, uniform and textbook. I didn’t find any big difference in the quality of education or facilities between the two KGs as both are following the British curriculum,” said the teacher.
