DOHA: The Council of Ministers on Wednesday highlighted the efforts made to implement the 'National Framework for Promoting Values and Morals in Qatari Society,' which is a joint initiative launched in cooperation between several relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Social Development and Family, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Public Health, and the Ministry of Sports and Youth.
This initiative invests in education in a fashion that enhances the building of human and knowledge capital as well as sustainable development efforts, in all its economic, social, environmental and human dimensions, thus achieve the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030.
The National Framework Initiative aims to promote good moral values; follow up on developments taking place in all Qatari society segments, especially children and youth; identify the key challenges and behavioural problems threatening the fabric of the society; and address and reduce them through the implementation of solid plans that suit the orientations of each target group.
The National Framework includes Within the national framework comes the "Tanshia Program," a major contributor to consolidating the efforts of the relevant ministries in activating and implementing the national framework. Tanshia is a result of cooperation between the Ministry of Education and the Doha International Family Institute, and it has been applied to 25,000 students. It includes various educational and awareness-raising activities, carried out in partnership with many institutions in the country.
The "National Framework for Promoting Values and Morals in Qatari Society" initiative is built on seven pillars: protection, education, care, prevention, rehabilitation, empowerment, and governance. It includes several interventions and performance indicators for each pillar, as well as future steps to achieve the specified strategic goals and protect the social, cultural and moral fabric of society.
In this context, efforts have been exerted to enhance aspects of cooperation between all relevant ministries; to coordinate their programs and projects, in accordance with the strategic plans related to the national framework, and to determine the necessary interventions according to their respective competencies.
Participating ministries provided sets of innovative programs and purposeful activities to instil moral values in children and youth at various educational stages.
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education contributed to the implementation of the National Framework through the launch of the national "Tanshia" programme; the launch of the initiative to integrate values-based education into the school curricula; the application of the ethical charter for schools and kindergartens; in addition to implementing a set of student activities in government schools in cooperation with external parties. These included 137 activities on national identity, 100 activities on Islamic values, 42 scientific activities, 19 environmental activities, and 30 activities in the field of health.
In turn, the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs implemented 1,550 educational programmes and lectures for boys' and girls' schools, 90 programmes and lectures for parents and school and university employees, and about 420 religious programmes for young people in mosques.
One of the most significant achievements of the Ministry of Culture in this context included the implementation of approximately 37 projects and activities, notably: the development of the "Reading for All" programme dedicated to school students during the academic year, and the "Summer Companion" program for children aimed at activating the role of the family. Additionally, launching enhanced digital content for values and noble morals in society, focusing on enhancing the positive participation of youth in community development through volunteer initiatives, and presenting the spring program for volunteers "Colors of Spring," aimed at raising awareness among youth and children about volunteer work.
Also, launching the project "Qatari Red Crescent Ambassadors" to develop the youth's capacity to represent the Qatari Red Crescent inside and outside the country.For its part, the Ministry of Social Development and Family focused on developing a referral system for social care institutions and disseminating it, implementing about 34 awareness lectures and activities in schools, and preparing annual programs to qualify adolescents in social and psychological services and vocational rehabilitation activities by a multidisciplinary team. Additionally, launching the "Instill a Value" campaign on the occasion of the International Gardening Exhibition "Expo 2023" to link values with planting seeds, and the "Challenge of Giving" campaign during Ramadan aimed at promoting the spirit of participation and giving among family members and building the value of altruism and giving, enhancing the value of social responsibility, the concept of assistance, and providing aid to the needy.
The ministry also collaborated with the Sports for All Federation in organising the Family Run Race in Al Khour, which is the first race in the Family Races series in 2024.
The Ministry of Interior worked on implementing the Student Awareness Project, which included about 176 schools, benefiting 13,651 male and female students, organizing 355 lectures in various schools and centres for people with disabilities to enhance security awareness, and implementing programs for psychologists to dry up crime sources and combat drugs.
The Ministry of Public Health, on the other hand, worked on preparing an electronic platform containing a health library including lectures, videos, and informative materials for the school community, teachers, students, nurses, and parents. Additionally, launching the national hotline for mental health, implemented a mental health training program for frontline employees at Hamad Medical Corporation, organised four workshops, prepared nutritional guidelines and healthy lifestyle patterns for mothers and children, and participated in preparing the guide for school canteens aiming to provide healthy options in government schools, and training supervisors of school canteens on the guide.
As for the Ministry of Culture and Sports, it worked on completing Qatar's National Youth Policy document and its approval by the Cabinet, developing the "Youth Support" application to promote values for the youth and educate them through distinctive interactive digital media content, launching the "We're All Responsible" initiative to enhance social responsibility among youth and highlight their voluntary role in society, the "Youth Support Initiative" program to graduate Qatari youth leaders in humanitarian and charitable volunteer work, and enhancing the values of solidarity and compassion among youth.
The "National Framework for Enhancing Values and Noble Morals in the Qatari Society" is the result of an analytical study of the most significant behavioural challenges and social and ethical problems among school students and youth in Qatari society. It was launched following the approval of the Cabinet on the proposal submitted in this regard, and based on that, a decision was issued by the Cabinet to form a ministerial committee chaired by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, with membership from the Ministry of Endowment and Islamic Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Social Development and Family.