(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Amna Pervaiz Rao / The Peninsula
Qatar started the new academic year yesterday, with the Independent and private schools resuming classes after the long summer break bringing usual activity back to the city.
As the city witnessed heavy traffic during peak hours yesterday, parents and students rushed to schools early to avoid the traffic problems. Several parents said that their children were excited and geared up after a long vacation.
Ayesha, a mother of two kids, told The Peninsula: 'My kids had to prepare for exams which are set to be taken in October. They had a long vacation which was filled with enjoyment and studies as well. Due to the countless activities in Doha, parents and children were busy throughout these days.
'My sons were excited to go to school to meet their friends and teachers after a long time. We had an opportunity to avail of amazing back-to-school offers as well at shopping malls which made our shopping responsibility easy, she added.
The first day was hectic at Independent schools when The Peninsula visited their premises early morning. Parents were busy collecting textbooks for their kids and making arrangements for transport in school buses. Some were a bit annoyed as it took time to get things organised, being the first day.
Muhammed, a father of a kid studying at Newton British Academy, said: 'Attendance was full on the first day. Different activities took place at the school to cheer up children and gear up for a new start. The students were enthusiastic attending the school after a long summer break.
'Our academic year starts in April. Today we have started our second term. Students of all classes are geared up. This year we will be conducting coaching classes for staff. We aim to work hard on teachers. Our teachers will be taught new techniques (methodologies) which they need to adopt to prepare students according to the requirements of their universities, said Nargis Raza, Principal at Pakistan International School (PIS).
Talking about coaching classes for students and teachers, she said. 'Extra coaching classes will be held for students of grade 9 to 12 to prepare them according to the Federal Board curriculum. As Federal Board is becoming harder with every passing day, we want our students to be mentally prepared for all sorts of questions. In a week, we are also conducting Parents Teacher Meeting (PTM) to make it easy for parents to understand the new techniques.
Different schools are holding final exams in October, and most of the Indian schools are going to start their revision sessions. These revision classes will simplify the preparations for examinations.
A K Shrivastava, the principal of Birla Public School, told The Peninsula: 'Students are back to school after 77 days of vacation, and the school is back to the normal routine. Due to traffic in the morning, buses were not able to reach on time and in the afternoon the scenario was the same due to traffic problems. The classes are a continuation of the ongoing term. In October, students up to 8th grade will be taking exams and will start their new session. Students of grade 9, 10, 11 and 12 are back to their routine having normal classes and the system has been changed slightly, earlier they had two terms and now they have quarterly terms.
Riyaz Amed Bakali, Founder Director at The Next Generation (TNG) School, said: 'Coming back to school after long summer holidays is a real time of excitement for students, parents and teachers. However, it is a mixed feeling for each with their own perspective. For students, it seems as if it was just yesterday when holidays started and got over so fast, whereas parents feel relaxed since the summer holidays are over and they apparently, were very long.
'On the other hand, preparations at TNG are at its peak and teachers are eagerly waiting to welcome students for another academic year full of learning. Teachers are well prepared once again with their classrooms decorated with educational material welcoming them, with the aroma of new books and notebooks applying new methods and skills to deliver quality education, which is only the motto of The Next Generation School, he added.
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