Muscat – The Ministry of Education (MoE) has announced the appointment of 5,693 teachers for the academic year 2023-24.

Women dominate this new batch, constituting 4,953 or 87% of the appointees, while the male teachers’ strength stands at 740.

This major recruitment drive was initiated to meet the increasing educational requirements across diverse disciplines in various schools.

With the new session beginning, 60,840 educators returned to government schools on Sunday. Along with them, supervisors, administrative personnel, and support groups began their preparatory work, ahead of the students’ arrival on Tuesday.

On the issue of recruitment, the ministry revealed that the Omanisation rate reached 87.5% for the teaching staff in government schools, distributed across 1,270 establishments. Notably, 11,509 administrative and technical roles in these schools have a near-complete Omanisation rate (99.8%).

In the realm of special education, the figures remain impressive with 93.5% of the 284 teaching positions held by Omanis, while 85.4% of administrative roles are filled by local talent.

Dr Sulaiman bin Abdullah al Jamudi, Director-General of the Directorate-General of Educational Supervision, said, “We have introduced various mechanisms for welcoming our new educators,” he said, adding, “a standout initiative is the introduction programme tailored for them in their residential areas”.

“This programme’s objective goes beyond mere orientation; it fosters a positive perception of teaching, empowers educators in their roles, and equips them with essential skills for effective teaching.”

Dr Intisar Ambosaidi, Director-General of the Specialised Institute for Vocational Training for Teachers, highlighted the institute’s strategic training plan.

“Our focus is on honing the skills of new Omani educators in public schools. We aspire to mold them into innovative teachers who constantly seek novel methods to enhance their classroom experiences.”

Talal bin Nasser al Adawi, Assistant Director-General of the Directorate-General of Administrative Affairs for Human Resources Development, emphasised the directorate’s collaboration with the private sector.

“To motivate and prepare our new teachers, we’ve partnered with local banks, health organisations, and insurance providers to present special offers to these educators,” he informed, highlighting that “these initiatives, along with other readiness and coordination efforts, underscore our unwavering commitment to uplifting the educational landscape each academic year”.