Special Initiatives in Mathematics and Science Education
Qatar participated in the Gulf Cooperation Council-wide Mathematics Olympiad and hosted it in 2013, which reflects the great care of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in supporting and encouraging outstanding students in regional and international competitions. These events will improve the performance of the students, develop their skills, and encourage them to compete and strive for academic excellence. The Gulf Mathematics Olympiad also is a way to contribute to the development of mathematics curricula in the member states of the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States.13
The World Robot Olympiad is an annual competition that is part of the partnership’s drive toward realizing Qatar’s human potential through science and technology in support of the Qatar National Vision 2030. It is designed to develop skills and inspire enthusiasm in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by bringing together teams of young people from all over the world, and challenging them to use their creativity and problem solving skills to build robots capable of completing a range of challenges.14
The State of Qatar has entered the field of international student assessment to monitor the performance of the education sector in comparison with those of the world’s strongest economies. The performance of Qatar in international student and school assessment processes is critical for understanding where and how the education sector can improve to meet the Qatar National Vision goals. The Ministry of Education and Higher Education will prepare a treatment plan to fill the gaps based on this information.