MUSCAT: The Ministry of Education (MoE), represented by the Oman National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, organised a workshop on the Mobile Puppet Theatre Project aimed at promoting sustainable development concepts in early childhood education.
The workshop targeted preschool education faculty members and covered 20 schools in Muscat Governorate.
The initiative seeks to integrate sustainable development concepts into early learning by training educators to prepare theatrical scenarios and implement interactive puppet performances that convey key environmental and social values to young children.
The MoE works to ensure equitable, inclusive and quality education while promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. By 2030, it aims to ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to advance sustainable development. The Mobile Puppet Theatre Project supports the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a global framework to improve lives by addressing pressing issues such as climate change, education and social inclusion.
Khalid bin Khalaf al Maawali, Assistant Director of the Education Sector at the Oman National Committee, said: “This workshop, organised in partnership with Ooredoo, aims to promote sustainable development concepts within early childhood education as part of the National Committee’s efforts to achieve the fourth goal, seventh target. The project includes a mobile puppet theatre and four theatrical scenes covering five sustainable development goals. The first phase targeted 20 schools in Muscat, and future phases will expand to other governorates.”
The puppet theatre encourages children to actively participate in achieving the SDGs by engaging in simple, everyday actions such as recycling, conserving water and helping others. Through guided discussions and interactive activities, teachers can help students reflect on their individual roles in promoting sustainability, showing how small actions can make a significant impact.
Farah al Harmi, Head of the School Education Department at the Oman National Commission, explained that the workshop was designed to introduce the Sustainable Development Goals to preschoolers in an age-appropriate manner.
“The goal is to reach this group indirectly through activities that align with the SDGs. Many such activities already take place in schools but are not explicitly linked to the goals. By raising awareness, we can better connect classroom activities with the ministry’s vision for achieving Goal 4: Quality Education,” she said.
Linked closely with Oman’s national curriculum — particularly the first cycle — the mobile puppet theatre incorporates Omani environmental themes and locally inspired puppet characters. The design allows easy movement between classrooms, and teachers are encouraged to adapt and personalise the provided scripts to suit their students, fostering creativity and engagement.
Ali bin Khalifa al Maamari, School Activities Supervisor at the MoE's Department of Educational Activities, presented a paper titled 'Puppet Theatre: An Educational and Teaching Tool.' He emphasised that puppet theatre is an effective educational art form that helps convey meaningful messages to children.
“Activating this type of theatre in classrooms plays a vital role in delivering important educational messages that support sustainable development goals,” Al Maamari said.
By combining creativity, education and sustainability, the Mobile Puppet Theatre Project reflects Oman’s commitment to preparing environmentally conscious and socially responsible future generations.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
