Shura Council hosts Minister of Education

Muscat: The Shura Council, during its 7th regular session, hosted Her Excellency Madiha Al Shibani, Minister of Education, to discuss the Ministry's statement on key educational areas. These included school education policies, the quality of school education, human resources, training and qualification, and private school education in the Sultanate of Oman.   

Growth in Student Population and School Infrastructure

Her Excellency the Minister of Education reported a significant increase in the number of students in government schools, rising from 678,000 in the 2020/2021 academic year to 817,000 in the current academic year 2024/2025, representing a 20.5% growth rate. The number of schools is also projected to increase, reaching 1,306 in the 2025/2026 academic year, compared to 1,182 in 2020/2021, a 10.4% growth.   

Increased Teacher Appointments and Focus on Omanisation

During the first four years of the tenth five-year plan, the Ministry appointed 15,000 Omani teachers, a significant increase compared to the 6,800 appointed during the ninth five-year plan. The Ministry plans to appoint an additional 4,000 teachers, primarily Omanis, in the 2025/2026 academic year, bringing the total number of Omani teacher appointments in the tenth five-year plan to over 19,000.   

Expansion of Private School Sector

The private school sector has also seen substantial growth, with the number of private and international schools and kindergartens increasing to 1,223 in the 2024/2025 academic year, up from approximately 880 in 2019/2020, a 39% increase. Student enrollment in private schools has risen from 189,000 in 2019/2020 to 233,000 in 2024/2025, including 96,000 in pre-school education.

Investment in Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence

The government has allocated a budget of OMR 27.4 million for the digital transformation project, a national priority aimed at developing the digital education and artificial intelligence system. This initiative will leverage technical programs and applications in curricula, teaching strategies, and administrative systems, while also developing digital infrastructure in government schools and employing artificial intelligence in the teaching and learning process