Schools and waiting lists
Hi Everyone,
Now that the company offer is finalized and ready to be signed, we are facing a lot of challenges with schools for our kids. As many have warned me before, the majority of schools in Doha have a long waiting list. I called multiple schools in Doha, and in fact almost all have a waiting list. The only school I found to have some availability right now is one of the Newton International schools. The bigger problem that I see is that I wouldn't have my PR until about 6 weeks from now, and then have to get my kids PR in Qatar, which means I'm looking at over two months if all goes as planned. That takes us all the way to August, which is a month away from the begining of the new school year. I extremely doubt that by then I would be able to get my kids into any school in Doha. What do you think?
I've been told by some to leave the family behind for another year so the kids could continue their education in the US, while I start the process of finding them a school in Doha for the following year(s). Have you heard of families actually doing that?
This seems to throw a big wrench into the whole thing, and we are seriously considering turning it down.
Do you think these are valid concerns?
Vincent
I have heard that NIS is just an OK school. That's why you may have been able to find a spot.
I just wanted to thank each and everyone of you who has responded to my questions on this forum. All of you have been extremely helpful and gracious in your responses, and I certainly appreciate all the feedback I've received on this site. Your experiences in Doha is what I and many newcomers seek, and I was not disappointed.
I've made my final decision today, and decided to decline the offer made to me by the employer. My decision was heavily influenced by the clear challenges we were bound to face in placing our kids in Doha schools, thus making the move riskier than we had anticipated. As a family we felt that the risk of falling short of placing our kids in schools for a year or more far outweigh the benefits of moving to Doha. Who knows, maybe the dreaded "waiting list" will become a thing of the past in Doha, and we will consider this move again in the future.
Until then, thanks again for all your contributions on this forum.
Vincent
That said about a possible shorter timeline is countered by the fact we're coming up on Ramadan (17th or 18th of June) and government offices work shorter hours and may be shorter staffed because of summer vacations as well.
You may not have to wait for everyone to have their RP. Some schools will accept children if the RP is in process. I don't know about NIS. Also, if your company has a decent PRO, it shouldn't take 6 weeks to get your RP.
As I said earlier.. If your children are young, you can take the risk. Otherwise be wary.
Good luck!
All the best and good luck, Vincent.
Thanks for the advice @Wild Turkey. I am planning to give my final response tomorrow, which you could probably guess what it is going to be, but I will throw the condition you suggested to the employer and see if it sticks. I highly doubt it, since they themselves acknowledged the concerns that I have about schooling for my kids.
Agreed @britexpat! There are many families out there less fortunate in their home countries, and I can certainly appreciate the sacrifices they make in the short term in the hope of a better future for their offspring.
If you are a 'wanted' expert you can ask your company to secure a place for your children. Make it a condition in your contract. If they can't do it, forget it. Sometimes companies are influential. And that makes things easier in this corrupt country.
Welcome to reality. You earn the bucks and make some hard choices.
How do other parents with school kids manage to do it without missing a year or more of schooling if all schools are on the waiting list and schools wont place kids until they are physically in Qatar with a RP. Logically speaking, where none of this seems logical to me, parents would wait in their home country until their kids finish school before moving to Doha. However that leaves the parents with just a few months at best in Doha to get their kids placed in a school. That's seems like a big risk to me. Do parents actually take that kind of risk where their kids could be left out in the cold (or Doha heat) with no school. To be honest, the thought of missing a whole year of school or even home schooling is absolutely terrifying.
It used to be (!) hassle-free some 20 years ago. Now it is the biggest problem for anyone coming here with a family. A temporary alternative could be home-schooling.
These are very valid concerns. Education of the children is key to their future.
Most expats face this issue . School places are at a premium.
As to whether to leave the family behind for a year . It all depends on your circumstances and their ages. If they are very young , then a couple of months out of school is not bad.