Muscat: Salma al Matani, an Omani student, has achieved a rare feat by accepting the challenge of teaching English to native speakers in the countryside of Scotland.
Salma achieved this due to her determination and hard work in her subject as a student. As the only Omani teacher in Scotland, she has immersed herself into the Scottish culture and life. The people of Scotland have welcomed her with open arms and hearts. Moreover, her students see her as an inspiration for her own people and theirs too.
Salma started her career by completing her bachelor's in English Language and Literature from University of Leeds and then moved to Glasgow, amid Covid chaos, to complete her Educational Qualification from University of Strathclyde. However, her love for the English language began much earlier in her life. What first started as a hobby, reading any book she could find, eventually became a passion that became her motivation for everything. She aspired to change the society she grew up in, to provide insights to the Arab community on the impact of English education.
She overcame all obstacles and achieved the impossible. As a result, Salma received her offer of employment at one of the best secondary schools in Scotland within a few weeks of gaining her Postgraduate Degree in Education.
However, as one of the students on scholarship to someday teach in Oman, she has been left with limited choices amid Covid-19 pandemic.
She did not despair or fall into despondency. Instead, Salma turned to her greatest support, her family. Together they decided that this obstacle would not be the end of her education and future. She would be able to prove the opposite. She did not sit idle, waiting for unfulfilled promises and opportunities, but took control of her future and set off to continue her education in Scotland.
Unfortunately, Salma has been rejected by schools in her own country. Salma was and still is adamant about proving her worth. She pursued the qualifications that ultimately landed her a job as a secondary school English teacher at Berwickshire High school in Scotland. An environment that not only gave her a chance to become the educator she was destined to be, but has supported and welcomed her as one of their own. And in just one year of working there, Salma is now recognised as a fully registered secondary English teacher by the General Teaching Council for Scotland.
Salma's tremendous success is also a success for her country, Sultanate of Oman. This achievement will be added to the list of brilliant students.
Regrettably, the sad reality is that Salma's achievements have been overlooked.
The challenges that stand in front of our hard-working children, who strive to gain education to benefit their homeland, are increasing daily.
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