Muscat – In implementation of the Royal directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik on expediting the execution of employment initiatives, the Ministry of Labour, in cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MoHERI), will train more than 4,500 university graduates to work as teachers in the academic year 2022/2023.

According to an official in MoHERI, the Higher Education Admission Centre (HEAC), in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour, has announced the opening of the Omani Teachers Preparation and Qualification Programme for holders of Diploma in Education.

He added that registration will start on Sunday and end on March 14, 2022. “The programme aims to qualify university graduates who wish to work as teachers.”

The process is spread over several stages, including registration, specialised test, personal interview, and announcement of results. ‘The programme aims to qualify 4,500 graduates (2,870 male and 1,630 female) in various disciplines this year. Candidates will work as teachers of Arabic, Islamic education, English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Geography, History, etc,’ an HEAC statement said.

According to the MoHERI official, after selection, candidates will be trained in educational institutions such as Sultan Qaboos University and universities in Sohar, Dhofar, Nizwa and Sharqiyah.

“The Ministry of Labour will finance the fees of 1,500 candidates with a monthly allowance of RO150 for a period of nine months during the training programme,” the official informed.

Those wishing to apply can find details at http://www.heac. gov.om or via 24255552 and 94776616.

According to statistics released by the Ministry of Education, there were 56,569 Omani teachers in 2021 in government schools – 17,881 male and 38,688 female – accounting for an Omanisation rate of 84.8 per cent. There were 10,878 Omani administrators and technicians – Omanisation rate of 99.8 per cent.

There were 57 Omani male and 250 female teachers in special education schools – Omanisation rate of 90.6 per cent.

The Ministry of Education appointed 2,954 teachers for the academic year 2021-2022.