Capitalism, often lauded for fueling innovation and economic growth, has deeply shaped modern societies. But when its principles infiltrate sectors like education — meant to nurture minds, not profits — a troubling reality unfolds.
In Oman, a quiet crisis is emerging across higher education institutions. “My contract has not been renewed,” confided an Omani faculty member from a reputed college, her voice trembling with emotion. “How will I survive? How will I pay the bank installment?” Her story is not isolated. Many educators are facing the same uncertainty, walking a tightrope of temporary employment with no safety net.
Why have we allowed our educators — the architects of future generations — to become disposable? We celebrate education in rhetoric, yet systematically erode the security and dignity of those who deliver it.
Karl Marx warned that capitalism reduces workers to cogs, disconnected from their labour and vulnerable to market whims. Today, many educators in Oman find themselves treated not as mentors, but as seasonal employees — valued only until the next budget revision.
"After working tirelessly for a semester, I was told I wouldn't be needed next term," shared a young lecturer. "I felt like rented equipment, used and returned."
At the heart of the issue is the adoption of corporate mindsets in academia. Institutions prioritise rankings, budgets, and cost-efficiency, often at the expense of academic depth and community.
Education theorist Henry A Giroux noted that when universities become businesses, they stop nurturing critical thinkers and start producing market-ready workers.
This tension is especially stark in Oman, where Vision 2040 emphasizes empowering local talent and building a knowledge-based economy. Yet short-term contracts strip educators of security, contradicting national goals and weakening the academic foundation.
Supporters argue these contracts offer institutional flexibility. But in practice, they breed insecurity, stifle creativity, and divert energy from teaching and research to job preservation.
“We spend more time worrying about contract renewals than curriculum or student mentorship,” admitted a senior faculty member. “It’s demoralising.”
The effects ripple outward. Students sense their instructors’ unease, and trust erodes. Communities lose potential academic role models. The result? A diluted educational experience and a discouraged academic workforce.
We must ask: What values are we teaching our students when their educators are treated as expendable? Are we building a culture that cherishes knowledge or one that mirrors the disposability of the gig economy?
To move forward, colleges must revisit their hiring practices. Offering longer-term contracts and professional growth pathways would restore faith in academia and align with the nation's broader vision. Policymakers must also recognise that economic progress should never come at the cost of human dignity.
The true wealth of any nation lies not in resources or infrastructure but in the minds of its people. If we continue to undermine our educators, we risk compromising not only their lives — but our collective future.
Let us choose to uplift our Omani lecturers. Let us build a system that values, respects, and invests in those who educate. Only then can we claim to believe in the true power of education.
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