Muscat – On Tuesday, 782,818 school students will start the new academic year across Oman. A considerable part of this cohort – 76,724 – are first-timers, marking their foray into formal education. Significantly, 29 new schools have been inaugurated this year to accommodate this burgeoning student population.

The grade-wise breakdown shows 304,913 students are enrolled in Grades 1 to 4, 261,804 in Grades 5 to 8, and 120,101 in Grades 9 to 12. Special education programmes, a vital part of Oman’s inclusive educational ethos, cater to 1,769 students.

In the context of manpower, the sultanate’s government schools boast a substantial workforce of 60,840 teachers, bolstered by 11,509 administrators and technicians. Special education institutions employ an additional 284 teachers and 65 administrative staff.

In an address to the community, Dr Madiha bint Ahmed al Shibaniyah, Minister of Education, conveyed her gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik for his unwavering support to the education sector. She congratulated the students and educational staff, and welcomed both domestic and international educators into the fold. “We have made great strides in teacher recruitment this year, hiring over 5,700 educators, a remarkable 41% increase from the previous year.”

A significant development is the ministry’s focus on vocational and technical education. Adhering to global benchmarks, four schools in the governorates of Muscat and North Batinah have introduced courses in business administration and information technology for Grade 11 students. In cooperation with the energy sector, plans are underway for specialised engineering and industrial courses in the coming academic year.

The minister emphasised a holistic revamp of academic curricula, particularly in science, mathematics, English and information technology.

The ministry is poised for a digital leap, gearing up for seamless integration of artificial intelligence applications into educational processes. The minister also underscored the significance of extracurricular activities in nurturing well-rounded individuals.

Prof Dr Abdullah bin Khamis Ambosaidi, Undersecretary for Education in the Ministry of Education, highlighted several ambitious goals, including curriculum development, teacher empowerment and strategic partnerships with companies like Oman Indian Fertiliser Company (OMIFCO).

“This year, in cooperation with OMIFCO, the ministry will launch the ‘OMIFCO Award for School Creativity’, and also conduct the second edition of ‘Excellence Award for Omani Teachers’ to motivate teachers.”

In closing, the undersecretary announced several student-centric programmes aimed at fostering creativity, innovation and national pride.

Oman’s renewed emphasis on education, from infrastructural expansion to curricular innovations, paves the way for a brighter future in alignment with Oman Vision 2040.