Muscat-  Oman’s new academic year 2026/2027 began on Sunday, with around 876,117 students returning to schools across the Sultanate’s governorates.

The total comprises 440,899 male students and 435,218 female students enrolled in schools under the country’s educational directorates.

Around 3,903 students are enrolled in special education programmes in both government and private schools.

Students are attending 1,298 schools nationwide, including 341 schools serving Grades 1-4, 128 schools for Grades 5-8, and 165 schools for Grades 9-12. A further 664 schools operate as continuous schools, while 115 schools run on an afternoon shift.

The total number of teaching, administrative and technical staff in government schools this academic year stands at 68,205. This includes 21,011 male teachers and 47,194 female teachers, along with 12,200 administrative and technical staff — 4,832 men and 7,368 women.

The new academic year will also see the opening of 18 new school buildings across various governorates. The new facilities are intended to accommodate growth in student numbers, reduce the number of schools operating on two shifts and replace ageing buildings.

The new schools will also include additional educational facilities, modern teaching technologies and science laboratories, providing a more suitable and attractive environment for teaching and learning.

The Ministry of Education also said the number of private schools has continued to grow, recording an increase of 24.6% over the past five years.