Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has announced major expansions in pre-kindergarten services and new updates to its electronic student registration system, aimed at improving accessibility and easing procedures for parents across the country.
Speaking to Qatar TV recently, Maryam Al Nasf Al Buainain, Director of the Schools and Students Affairs Department at the Ministry, revealed that the ministry will soon open the third expansion phase of the pre-kindergarten stage, which has witnessed strong demand from parents.
Al Buainain said the increase in enrollment reflects growing awareness among parents of the importance of early childhood education. She explained that the ministry launched the program last year in four kindergartens, expanded it this year by adding eight more, and plans to introduce the program in nine additional kindergartens next year. The pre-kindergarten stage targets children around three years old.
She also confirmed that the ministry will continue offering summer registration services through dedicated service centers. Six centers will operate in schools across different municipalities, allowing parents to complete and approve student registrations during the summer without interruption.
Discussing the latest electronic registration updates, Al Buainain said the ministry has invested significant effort in recent years to modernize the transfer and registration system to reduce burdens on parents and simplify enrollment procedures.
Among the most significant updates introduced this year through the “Maarif” portal is a dedicated parent information dashboard. Through the platform, parents can now update residential information, monitor student attendance records, and access communication details directly online.
The ministry has also digitized transfer and registration procedures for students with disabilities, which were previously handled through manual paperwork. Parents can now complete applications from home and schedule appointments electronically according to available timings.
In addition, parents are now offered greater flexibility when selecting alternative schools in cases where vacancies are unavailable. Previously, only two or three options were presented in a mandatory sequence based on proximity. The updated system now provides four alternative schools, allowing parents to choose the most suitable option according to their own circumstances.
Al Buainain further announced the launch of electronic registration services for adult education evening centers. Around nine evening centers are currently operating, and students can now register online through the Maarif portal, upload required documents, and complete their enrollment digitally instead of through manual procedures.
She noted that many of the newly introduced services were developed in response to challenges faced by parents. The ministry has also intensified awareness efforts through social media platforms by publishing short educational videos explaining registration procedures, account creation, and new student enrollment steps for parents using the system for the first time.
