I do not know whether or not Park House is a sinking ship. However, this comparison implies that there is a "free market" for education in Doha. There is no such thing. Parents are frequently told that there are no places available for their children and maybe the waiting list is closed. Furthermore , many parents simply cannot afford to send their children to the more expensive schools or else the family lives on the wrong side of Doha and the "school run" is an impossible battle with Doha traffic (not to mention finding somewhere to park). Similarly, the system of sponsorship can be used to prevent teachers from leaving and going to another school in Qatar.
In the U.K., regular inspection is mandatory, both for Health and Safety issues and in order to check on the quality of teaching provided. In Qatar, inspection is rather like the rain: it never seems to happen and, on those rare occasions when it does, it does not make any real difference.
I do not know whether or not Park House is a sinking ship. However, this comparison implies that there is a "free market" for education in Doha. There is no such thing. Parents are frequently told that there are no places available for their children and maybe the waiting list is closed. Furthermore , many parents simply cannot afford to send their children to the more expensive schools or else the family lives on the wrong side of Doha and the "school run" is an impossible battle with Doha traffic (not to mention finding somewhere to park). Similarly, the system of sponsorship can be used to prevent teachers from leaving and going to another school in Qatar.
In the U.K., regular inspection is mandatory, both for Health and Safety issues and in order to check on the quality of teaching provided. In Qatar, inspection is rather like the rain: it never seems to happen and, on those rare occasions when it does, it does not make any real difference.