Doha, Qatar: The Cabinet has issued a decision amending the value of educational vouchers for Qatari students with disabilities, based on the principle of promoting equal educational opportunities and in support of the rights of students with disabilities to ensure that this group receives the necessary facilities in terms of education, specialised technology, and additional support, starting from the next academic year (2024-2025).
This significant step comes within the framework of the constant review of educational policies issued by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) and in line with the vision adopted by the ministry, which is to create a comprehensive educational environment that improves the services provided to students with disabilities, stimulates their latent energies, and paves the way for them on their academic and professional journey as partners in the country’s renaissance and community building.
It also aims to stimulate the private sector to provide more comprehensive and specialised educational services for students with disabilities that support integration efforts.
The new decision includes three levels of financial support for people with disabilities, which are QR43,000 for the first support level, QR53,000 for the second support level, and QR78,000 for the third support level.
The MoEHE has specified the conditions for eligibility for educational vouchers in accordance with clear international standards, which include all the aspects that must be taken into account when evaluating all categories of disability and the classifications of each category. The student support services centre (Roa’a Center for Assessment) of MoEHE is responsible for evaluating cases and classifying them into one of three levels of support.
Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi said the decision represents a milestone in the ministry’s ongoing efforts to support and integrate students with disabilities and improve the services provided to them. The Minister added that the significance of this decision lies in the specificity of the group benefiting from it and their unique needs.
The decision will ensure that these students receive the necessary support and facilities from the relevant educational institutions so that the ministry can contribute with its partners in the private sector to providing a more comprehensive educational environment.
Minister of Education and Higher Education pointed out that this support comes in the implementation of the Qatar National Vision 2030, whose human development pillar stipulates the necessity of providing an educational system that is comparable to the distinguished systems in the world and provides high-quality educational and training opportunities that suit the ambitions and capabilities of every individual without any exception.
