The Making of Migrant Community Schools in Qatar: A Case Study of The Filipino and Jordanian Schools

With the exponential growth of migrant population in the Arab Gulf States since the 1970s, the demand for schools for the children of different professional migrant communities has also heightened, giving rise to the emergence of migrant community schools throughout the Arab Gulf states. These schools are set up and run by those migrant communities who have a good size of professional migrants living with their families in the Gulf. Supported by favorable government policy and patronage, migrant community schools today are an inseparable part of education systems in the Arab Gulf states. Despite their ubiquitous presence across the Arab Gulf, there exists little research on the development of these schools in the region. This study attempts to address this gap by focusing on the making of migrant community schools in Qatar. Drawing on the experiences of two schools in Qatar – the Filipino and Jordanian schools - this study explores the emergence and practices of these schools by shedding light on the opportunity structure for such schools and the migrant groups that these schools serve in Qatar. The data are collected through semi-structured interviews with school owners, administrators, and teachers, and participant observations in the school premises, and focused group discussions with parents whose children are studying in these schools. The findings reveal that both schools serve as cultural hub, preserving heritage, languages and identity while progressively adapting to national and international educational standards. The study also reports the nuanced practices within the two schools: the Filipino school focuses on international standards and technology integration and global competition but the Jordanian school centers on Arab cultural values and Qatari national education requirements. However, both schools encounter challenges related to accreditation, teacher training and resource allocation, reflecting tensions between cultural preservation and regulatory demands. The research highlights implications for policymakers, educators, and community leaders seeking to balance cultural diversity with inclusive, high-quality education, while contributing to broader debates on social integration, identity formation, and educational reform in Qatar and beyond.