782,818 students to begin new school year today

STAFF REPORTER,

MUSCAT, AUG 28

Around 782,818 students are attending schools on Tuesday in various educational directorates across the Sultanate of Oman, with the start of their new academic year (2023/2024). The total number of students in grades (1-4) stood at 304,913, while the total number of students in grades (5-8) was 261,804, the total number of students in grades (9-12) reached 120,101, and the total number of new students in the first grade was 76,724, while the total number of special education students reached 1,769.

These students are attending 1,270 schools, including 356 schools for the first cycle, 68 for the second cycle, 121 in grades 9-12, and 25 in grades 11-12, and 700 operating in the morning and evening shifts, while the total number of schools operating in the evening shift stand at 133, while the total number of new schools stand at 29.

The total number of teachers in government schools for this academic year stand at 60,840, and 11,509 administrators and technicians, while the special education schools have 284 teachers, and the total number of administrators in special education schools reached 65.

Delivering a message on the occasion, Dr Madeeha bint Ahmed al Shaibaniyah, Minister of Education, said: “I am pleased to extend my warmest congratulations to our students, and members of the educational staff, wishing them success in this academic year. We also welcome the new teachers who have joined the education system to contribute in building their country and society, and we welcome teachers from sister countries who share this educational message with the Sultanate of Oman, and wishing everyone success.”

The minister said: “In the pursuit of the ministry's endeavours to improve education to meet the requirements of the next stage, and thanks to the efforts made to expand the preparation of Omani teacher programmes and qualifying them in coordination with the competent authorities, this year the ministry is able to appoint more than 5,700 teachers, with an increase rate up to 41 per cent compared to previous years, bringing the number of Omani teachers to approximately 14,000 appointed during the first three years of the Tenth Five-Year Plan.

"Believing in the importance of professional development for teachers, and its relation to the professional path plans for members of the teaching staff, the ministry continues to prepare qualitative training programmes for teachers to enhance their professional competencies, and to enable them to perform their duties efficiently and competently.”

The minister also referred to the issuance of the Royal Decree on the School Education Law, saying: “In continuation of the support enjoyed by the education sector in the Sultanate of Oman in all its aspects, and to strengthen the governance of the educational system and develop the legislative and organisational structure that guarantees a stimulating and supportive educational environment at the technical and administrative levels, Royal Decree No 31/2023 issued the School Education Law to serve as a legislative framework, and an educational and legal document that organises rights, duties and responsibilities in aspects related to the educational process.”

On developing the education system and starting to implement technical and vocational education, the minister said: “In implementation of the Royal directives of His Majesty to develop the school education system, the ministry during this academic year will start applying vocational and technical education in accordance with the best international standards and educational practices in business administration and information technology in the eleventh grade in four schools, two schools for boys and two schools for girls in the governorates of Muscat and Al Batinah North. The ministry also intends to offer a number of engineering and industrial specialisations in specific schools in the governorates of Muscat and Al Batinah North at the beginning of the next academic year 2024/2025, in partnership with the energy sector.

"In continuation of this approach, the ministry will gradually expand the application of vocational and technical education by establishing similar partnerships with the rest of the economic sectors, and increase the number of students, majors, and governorates during the coming academic years.”

Dr Abdullah bin Khamis Ambusaidi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Education for Education, on this occasion said: “The ministry seeks to implement a number of educational goals, the most important of which are continuing to update and develop school curricula in line with the requirements of sustainable development and global trends, the achieving of Oman Vision 2040, and empowering new teachers in the teaching and learning processes; through the implementation of the strategic training programme for them, the establishment of the third forum for school administrations, and the second supervisory forum. The ministry this year will launch, in cooperation with the Omani Indian Fertilizer Company (OMIFCO), the OMIFCO Award for School Creativity, and the launch of the Excellence Award for the Omani Teacher in its second edition to motivate teachers to launch their educational initiatives and projects.”

The under-secretary referred to the ministry's development of the executive regulations for the school education law, and its issuance on the specified date, and the advancement to adopt and develop the parents’ councils’ regulation, and the updates in the student affairs regulation, in line with the school education law. Strategies have also been prepared in the education sector, including: the strategy for discovering gifted students in school education and taking care of them, which will be launched during this year, and the adult education strategy, in addition to the issuance of a guide for requirements for school buildings for private schools, a guide for security and safety in them, and an investment exhibition in this type of education (EDVvest 2023) will be implemented.