Dear parents and guardians,

I am writing to you regarding the results of our Annual Parents’ Survey, which was held towards the end of the last academic year.

Our thanks to all of you who participated in this survey.  We were encouraged by your praise and positive comments, but were also keen to hear about the areas where you think we need to improve.  We have analyzed and discussed your comments and suggestions and have put in place an action plan to improve many aspects of our operations.

1. Many parents asked for better parent-teacher communication and a better tracking system for feedback from individual music lessons.

We have worked hard during the past eight weeks to address this issue and I am pleased to announce that from Saturday, 21 October all parents will receive weekly instrumental lesson feedback from relevant teachers.

This feedback is to tell you about the progress that your child is making and the tasks that they need to carry out between lessons. You will also receive information about future events, exam dates and performances.

The files have already been shared with you via Google Drive. You will be able to find the shared folder by heading to Google Drive > Shared with Me > and clicking the folder with your child's name.

If you encounter any difficulties in finding these folders, your child's teacher can provide you with a direct link.

If you continue to experience issues, please do not hesitate to reach out to our School Secretary at (qma.info@qf.org.qa) and we will be more than happy to assist you.

2. Parents have highlighted the availability of piano accompanists for internal exams and recitals as an area of concern.

We are aware that the availability of piano accompanists has caused serious concerns for students, teachers and parents in the past.

I am pleased to inform you that going forward, we have been given the green light to hire some external accompanists. This means that all students taking internal exams and participating in recitals and performances will have a piano accompanist available, free of charge.

3. Some parents would like to know the content of the Music Appreciation curriculum.

The Music Appreciation curriculum is now complete and will be shared with parents of the children to attend this course. Our staff have started working on a new Musicianship curriculum too.

4. Many parents have asked if QMA can provide a handbook containing student expectations regarding practice and homework, responsibilities and other relevant information.

Our updated Family Handbook is available on qma admin software and on our website. The Family Handbook contains important information about our school, as well as policies and procedures that are designed to ensure our school functions as a positive, educationally focused learning community where students can thrive and grow.

I would be grateful if you could familiarize yourselves with all the chapters contained in this handbook.

5. Flexibility for rescheduling lessons due to holidays or sickness

Please note that we have a clear policy on make-up lessons where a student’s absence is due to sickness.
Where a student is abroad and/or on holiday, our policy is to provide online lessons for them.  In these circumstances, lessons cannot be postponed or made up later.  This is in line with the absence policies of other Qatar Foundation schools.

6. Parents raised issues regarding general communication.

a) We have addressed the issues regarding all levels of communication and are hoping that the internal operational improvements now put in place will improve all aspects of communication.

b) Our monthly bulletin “In Tune” has been created to report on recent and upcoming events, as well as to provide notices and updates.

7. Online Payments

Several participants raised issues regarding the online payment system. We have passed this feedback on to our external finance providers during several meetings and are expecting a better quality service.
Debit and credit card payments can be made directly to the Academy's cashier during working hours.
Fees can also be paid via bank transfer and via Qatar Music Academy’s administration software.

8. Reduced fees: Several respondents asked if fees can be reduced.

For the third year in a row, we have been successful in keeping fees at the same level, despite the rising costs associated with maintenance of our string, woodwind and brass instruments and Steinway pianos (the annual cost of hiring specialist technicians from abroad to tune our pianos twice a year, is around a six-figure number).

I sincerely hope that the action plan that we have put in place will improve many aspects of our operations.
We feel that we are on the right track and recognize that there is always room for improvement within any organization. Your valuable feedback helps us to continue to enhance our school to provide the best music educational experience for your child.

Thank you for your support and cooperation.

Yours sincerely,

Zlatan Fazlić

Director of Qatar Music Academy