Doha, February 07 (QNA) - The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) affirmed its keenness to update the curriculum of physical education (PE), noting -in this context- its cooperation with the British Association for Physical Education (afPE), as well as the efforts of the team of PE experts and the ministry's executive team. The ministry said that these efforts have made a shift from a standards-based orientation to a competency-based orientation, in implementation of the general framework of the national educational curriculum of the State of Qatar, as it is the central reference point for making all decisions related to the curriculum to raise the levels of achievement in PE.
On the occasion of the country's National Sports Day, which will be celebrated tomorrow (Tuesday), the ministry said in a statement that the PE curriculum is in pace with the remarkable development that took place in the general framework of the state's national educational curriculum, pointing out that the subject of PE is mandatory for all students, and that it is carried out through the updated subject syllabus document, which is based on educational competencies.
The process of developing and implementing the educational curriculum is based on three main axes, including moving carefully, adopting healthy, safe and active lifestyles, building character, and learning outcomes for each educational stage achieved by the student at the end of each stage, through which students are provided with skills, knowledge and strategies, the ministry added.
The ministry indicated that the primary objective of the physical education curriculum is to develop student' basic and physical competencies, work on building their personalities, commensurate with the importance of physical activity, regularly participate in a healthy and physically active lifestyle through physical education, and exercise regularly, emphasizing the importance of its interest in discovering talents and supporting sports clubs with these cadres, given that it is one of the objectives of PE classes.
Regarding efforts to rehabilitate persons with disabilities, the ministry - represented by the PE department within its Department of Educational Guidance, stressed that curriculum for these students includes many strategies that help teachers to employ the different sports they find appropriate, based on the health status of the students, and adapt performance to suit their physical and health capabilities.
In a related context, the ministry affirmed its keenness to follow up with PE teachers through the Department of Educational Guidance and the mentors of the PE Department, with the aim of helping teachers develop and achieve professional growth, as well as solving educational problems that they may face, and providing technical services to improve teaching methods and direct the educational process, especially since this evaluation process is carried out on the basis of clear and thoroughly-studied criteria and foundations, in conjunction with school administrations, in addition to taking into account the reports of classroom visits to mentors.
The ministry explained that the number of PE teachers in all of the state's schools is 763, of whom the percentage of Qatarization is more than 50 percent, at a time when priority is given to employing Qatari cadres to teach PE - especially graduates of the College of Education at Qatar University, in order to highlight the competencies of those graduates in various fields.
The ministry pointed out the cooperation between the Physical Education Department on the one hand, and the Qatar Football Association (QFA) on the other, through the Koora Time program, in addition to its cooperation with the NOMAS Centre for popular games and the British Council in Doha, through activating the Youth Leadership Program, as well as its cooperation with Qatar Museums Authority, especially the Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, to encourage positive sports values and sports awareness.
The ministry also addressed its preparations to celebrate the National Sports Day, according to a plan developed by the Activities Committee in the PE Department, taking into account the precautionary measures followed in the ministry, explaining that it has designated Al Yarmouk Independent Preparatory School as the Sports Day center location for boys, and Maria Coptic Independent Preparatory School as the Sports Day center location for girls, adding that the events will include various sports activities, workshops and purposeful recreational games, as well as activities suitable for persons with disabilities. (QNA)