Qatar spends a whopping $8,585 on the education of each of its students; and this amount is annually invested. According to a report prepared by the GSDP in close coordination with the UNDP after consultations with a number of key agencies; it states that in secondary schools, a Qatari student costs the state a staggering QR39, 000 on average a year, while the figure for each preparatory school student is QR30, 500. At the primary level, the state’s expenditure per student is about QR24, 000.
Approximately 4.1 percent of Qatar's GDP is spent on education; which is the highest in the region and Qatari families spend only 21 percent of the cost of their children’s education while a lion’s share of 79 percent is borne by the state. Still, the ratio of Qatari students dropping out of schools after the primary level is a matter of concern. Lack of required qualifications largely prevents Qatari students from taking up responsible positions in the local job market.
The situation is worse when it comes to Qatari students opting for specialist courses of study in streams like science, mathematics and technology. Their admission to these courses is on the decline. Furthermore, large numbers of Qatari students are unable to get direct admission to degree courses in universities as result of which they must attend Foundation Programmes.
