New school academic year begins on Sunday

Muscat: The new academic year for Omani schools begins on Sunday, coinciding with the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) launch of a new curriculum.

This updated educational framework is designed to promote core values, respect the principles of Islam, and strengthen Omani identity. Inspired by Oman's rich history and heritage, the curriculum aims to keep pace with future skills and the requirements of sustainable development.To support the tourism sector during the khareef season, the Ministry of Education had previously delayed the start of the 2026/2027 academic year by one week, shifting the opening date to September 6 instead of August 30.
The newly introduced curriculum for the upcoming school year features an expanded lineup of subjects. These include the English Language Series for Grade 1, the Chinese Language series for Grade 12, as well as updated coursework in Social Studies, Musical Arts, Visual Arts, Information Technology, and Physical and Health Education.
This academic expansion comes amid a significant rise in student enrollment across the Sultanate. The student population in school education has grown steadily, rising from 814,368 during the 2021/2022 academic year to 980,166 students in the 2025/2026 term.
To ensure a seamless transition back to the classroom, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) has launched its annual Student Safety awareness campaign. The initiative places a special emphasis on providing safety guidelines and training for school bus drivers to secure student commutes.

The police called on students to get on and off the bus in the designated place, while stressing to the bus driver not to use the phone while driving or getting busy on the road.

The Royal Oman Police also called on parents to familiarize their children with safety instructions and how to behave in emergency situations, stressing that a safe journey begins before the bus moves.