Muscat: The Education Sector in the Sultanate has been developing at a steady pace in line with the population growth, which now stands at over five million.
The public schools in the Sultanate of Oman have 61,195 teachers in 1,269 schools catering to over 800,000 students. The Omanisation rate of teachers is 87.6 percent while special education schools employ 220 teachers.
It may be recalled that the School Education Law introduced in 2023 sets the course for a comprehensive, integrated approach to student learning and development and underscores the government’s commitment to fostering well-rounded individuals ready to excel in higher education and compete in a dynamic job market.
The law addresses essential aspects of education, including curriculum standards, faculty roles, special education programs, and student rights.
Its framework is designed to cultivate an educational environment that meets modern and future needs, while also fostering community engagement to encourage innovation and research.
It also ensures the right to basic education to all children in the Sultanate of Oman and guarantees the highest quality of education at all times.
The law makes it mandatory for a guardian to enroll children in the first grade of the basic education stage during the specified date when the child reaches the age of six, which is prescribed for admission.
The guardian should follow up on his regularity in the study until the completion of this stage, which is age 17.
It may be noted that the Ministry of Education appointed over 3,000 male and female teachers prior to the 2024-2025 academic year bringing the total number of appointed teachers since the outset of the current five-year plan to nearly 15,000 teachers.
The Ministry of Education will embark upon gradual implementation of the developed study plan which is based on classifying the study materials for the first cycle classes into basic subjects and accompanying subjects while reducing the number of subjects in order to focus on basic skills: reading and writing in both Arabic and English languages and mathematics.
In continuation of the ministry’s plan for digital transformation and artificial intelligence, the second phase of projects will be implemented that ensure the operation of advanced educational e-systems and e-services that are consistent with modern digital specifications while continuing to implement the initiatives of the executive program for artificial intelligence in school education.
The Ministry of Education has started the gradual implementation of the new study plan for grades (1-4).
The plan has been prepared to keep up with international best practices in the field of education, promoting the values of identity and citizenship and developing future skills such as critical thinking skills, creativity,
The most notable changes include dividing the study materials into two groups (basic subjects and accompanying subjects), reducing the number of study subjects from 11 to 10, and introducing the subject of identity and citizenship.
Changing the name of the individual skills courses to be consistent with global trends and developing the educational content and evaluation system in the accompanying materials so that it focuses on skills.
The plan will focus on Islamic education, Arabic, English language, mathematics, and the sciences.
There will be a special emphasis on identity and citizenship, information technology, visual arts, physical and health education, and musical arts.
There will be updates on the post-basic education curriculum for grades (11-12), which include adding Environmental Science to the 11th grade and replacing the computer subject in communications and business with the information technology subject.
Continuing the application of management specializations - Business and IT in the same schools applied in Muscat and North al Batinah Governorates.
Starting to apply engineering and industrial specializations in some schools in the governorates of Muscat and North Al Batinah.
12th Grade
Completing the application of business administration and information technology specializations for the same schools applied in the governorates of Muscat and North Al Batinah.
MOE stresses that professional knowledge and skills that enable access to suitable opportunities in the labor market or qualify for admission to higher education institutions.
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