Education system
As in Bahrain the Qatar government provides free education for all children. The official language the curriculum is taught in is Arabic but English is commonly used. Education is compulsory for children aged between 6 and 15. The structure of the education system consists of elementary (primary), preparatory (intermediate), secondary and higher education. Boys and girls attend separate schools.
Children attend elementary school from the ages of 6 through 12, preparatory school from the ages of 12 through 15 and then go on to secondary school for a further 3 years. Secondary education is divided into two separate programs; the academic route which prepares students for entry into higher education and the vocational route which prepares students for entry into the labour market. At the end of secondary school education students take the General Secondary Education Certificate (Tawjahiya).
Until recent years few universities existed in Qatar. There are, to date, 9 universities which are mostly based in Doha. The main university is Qatar University. Most others are joint ventures with overseas institutes and the Qatar Foundation.
