Muscat – Sunday marks a fresh beginning for students across Oman as schools are reopening for the 2024-25 academic year.

While many students are eagerly waiting for their reunion with friends, others are reluctant to get back to the grind leaving the ease of summer behind.

For parents, the start of the new session brings its own set of challenges, from managing new schedules to getting uniforms, bags, and supplies ready. Both students and their parents are manoeuvring through the joy and stresses of returning to routine, hoping for a productive and enjoyable year ahead.

Mohamed, the father of Hossam – a tenth-standard student at Ahmed Bin Al Naamani Al Kaabi School in Seeb – shared his thoughts on the eve of the first day of school. “I have prepared my son thoroughly for the new school year, both psychologically and academically. He completed courses in programming and English, which I believe have set him up well. He is excited about the start of the new year,” Mohamed said.

Fatmah al Naamani, mother of Harith al Musalmy, a grade VII student at Haritha bin al Numan School, shared the excitement, while noting her child’s initial resistance.

“At first, my son was cranky and resistant, but we managed to convince him. Now, he’s fully adjusted and excited to see his friends again,” she said.

“We hope the classes will be as engaging and fun as the break was. I don’t want my son to feel overburdened with homework or lessons; education should be enjoyable.”

However, Fatmah acknowledged that the main challenge is going to be in getting him ready early and adjusting to a new schedule. But she expects him to adapt gradually.

Saeed al Balushi, father of Al Yazan, a KG2 student at Dawhat Alelm Private School, also spoke about the challenges of returning after a long vacation. “After three months of summer vacation, it’s tough to wake them up early, get them ready, and deal with the heavy traffic in the morning,” he said. “Preparing uniforms, shoes, socks, breakfast, and water bottles are daily tasks, but we would be able to manage.”

As the holidays ended, arranging the school essentials like books and dresses had been a stress for many parents.

Syed Zaib, a parent from Pakistan School Muscat, shared his experience of getting his three children ready for school.

Unlike other schools, Pakistan School opened on August 18; and Zaid pointed out that one of the bigger challenges was to get tailormade uniforms.

“I faced difficulties in finding tailors for uniforms. Also, as girls, they want trendy bags, so I had to hop from one mall to another,” he narrated, exuding happiness that everything got sorted out eventually.

N Batinah declares contest for Best School Welcome

In celebration of the new academic year, North Batinah governorate has announced an exciting competition designed to showcase the best school reception programme. The competition, which highlights the efforts of school administrations in welcoming students for the 2024-25 academic year, offers a prize pool exceeding RO2,000.

According to a statement from the office of the North Batinah Governor, each participating school is required to submit a short video clip, in coordination with the Directorate General of Education in the governorate. The video should capture various aspects of the morning programme, including student reception, morning assembly, school radio, school bus entry, and distribution of school books.

The competition is open to both government and private schools and includes several criteria, such as adherence to the guidelines for student reception programmes. Video submissions should be no longer than two minutes.

Prizes are as follows: RO500 for the first place, RO400 for the second, RO300 for the third place, RO250 for the fourth place, and RO200 for the fifth. Sixth to tenth place winners will each receive RO100.