As the summer break comes to an end, the Sultanate of Oman is gearing up for the start of the new academic year 2024/2025. The return to school marks a significant moment for students, teachers, and other staff alike.
This year, schools across Oman will welcome over 750,000 students, with classes commencing from September 1, 2024. This academic year, Oman will have over 60,000 teachers in government schools alone.
Additionally, there are over 10,000 administrators and technicians, with a staggering 99 per cent Omanisation rate, indicating a strong reliance on Omani nationals in these roles.
Special education also sees dedicated staff (220 teachers and 52 administrators), maintaining high Omanisation rates of 93 per cent and 83 per cent, respectively.
On the infrastructure side, the Ministry of Education has opened 16 new school buildings, and has initiated construction on an additional 15 buildings, while plans are under way for another 20 schools.
These developments are aimed at providing a conducive learning environment for students, and meets modern educational standards around the world.
Moreover, improvements extend beyond just physical structures; there are ongoing projects to upgrade existing facilities and enhance educational resources such as science laboratories and sports fields.
The commitment of the government to improve educational environment is evident from the allocation of funds for air conditioning units and safe transportation for students.
Sixteen school buildings have been added to the existing ones this new academic year. Construction of 15 school buildings has also begun, in addition to tenders for 20 new school buildings, which will take the education sector to greater heights.
In a significant move, the Ministry of Education has taken steps to address the growing concern over heavy school bags, particularly for children from Grades 1 to 4. The initiative is part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to ensure the health and well-being of students, recognising the potential long-term consequences of carrying excessively heavy bags.
A recent directive limiting to just two notebooks of 80 sheets each – one for each main subject for students in the specified grades, is welcomed by one and all.
Additionally, the use of extra booklets or external binders has been prohibited, with students required to stick to the books provided by the ministry.
Lockers have been installed in schools to allow students to keep their books, taking away the need to carry these home daily. The ministry is also encouraging the use of electronic books available on the educational portal, which can further lighten the load for students.
In preparation for the new school year, significant investments have been made in school infrastructure.
The ministry has been keen to provide the operational requirements for the educational process according to the latest technical and scientific specifications to ensure the provision of a suitable atmosphere for the school environment; as it is one of the most important aspects supporting the teaching and learning processes.
The various steps taken by the ministry to provide safe transport for children include the approval of budget to provide 800 new school transportation vehicles, contracts for more than 20,000 school transportation vehicles, and signing an agreement between Karwa Motors Company and the Oman Development Bank to replace old school transportation vehicles under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Finance, is a welcome move.
Nearly 5,000 means of transportation for students will be replaced for a period of five years, provided that 1,000 school transportation vehicles are replaced every year starting from 2024/2025, distributed across various governorates of Oman according to actual need.
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