Oman education: OCCI, ministry discuss role for private sector in public schools

Muscat: Possibility of operation and management of public schools in the Sultanate by the private sector was discussed at a high-level meeting on Monday.
The Education Committee at Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) held a meeting with Saud bin Salim Al Balushi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for Educational Planning and Human Resources Development to discuss the Ministry’s approach on the possibility of operating and managing public schools by the specialised private sector (Authorised Public Schools).
Said bin Saleh Al Kiyoumi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of OCCI said that the meeting is a confirmation of the partnership between the public and private sectors in many development sectors and the education sector in particular to serve the development objectives in Oman.
Saud bin Salim Al Balushi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for Educational Planning and Human Resources Development said that the aim of the meeting was to study the issue of education in the Sultanate and to discuss the Ministry of Education’s approach on the possibility of operating and managing public schools by the specialised private sector, based on the approval of the education council.
The meeting discussed the new approach through putting the schools’ management under the operational contract with the private sector, and the mechanism of recruitment of human cadres in these schools, especially the educational staff and the evaluation mechanism.
The meeting also discussed the role of the private sector in supporting this approach, its success mechanism and the laws and legislation governing this contractual process to maintain the rights of all parties.