Education in Oman
Encyclopedia
Education in Oman is provided free of charge up to the end of secondary education
, though attendance is not mandatory at any level. In 1970 there were only three formal schools with 900 students in the whole country. Oman
's national educational program expanded rapidly during the 1970s and the 1980s. In 2006–2007 about 560,000 students attended 1053 public schools. The number of students in private schools is about 20,000. There are also extensive programmes to combat adult illiteracy. Sultan Qaboos University
, the only national university near Muscat
, was founded in 1986, and in 2006 it had 13,500 students. The 2006 Human Development Report
found the literacy rate to be 81.4% in adults (older than 15), up from 54.7% in 1990. For the same period, the youth (15-24) literacy rate increased from 85.6 to 97.3%. Public expenditure on education was reported to be 4.6% of GDP and 26.1% of total government spending.
enrollment is very limited and estimated to be only 1%. Kindergarten
is available mostly in large cities and enrollment is estimated to be 15%.
Attendance usually extends from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the teacher being free to organize this period as she deems appropriate between school learning and artistic and leisure activities.
The Ministry of Education is in the process of finalizing the advanced curriculum for the kindergarten level, based on self-learning as a method and centered on the Omani child and on his/her environment, cultural heritage and civilization.
Some preschools have adopted an international curriculum such as the International Preschool Curriculum or the IB Early Years programme.
was founded in 1986. Prior to the establishment of SQU
, the government sent some students to pursue higher education studies in neighboring Arab countries like UAE, Kuwait
, Jordan
and Egypt
. Also some students were awarded scholarships to study in the UK and America
.
SQU is self administered and has nine colleges. The colleges of Arts and Social Sciences, Commerce and Economics, Education, Law, and Nursing offer bachelor's and some master's degrees. Starting from September 2008, SQU began introducing PhD
studies in its colleges of Agriculture and Marine Sciences, Medicine and Health Sciences, Engineering, and Science. A bachelor's degree takes about five years, as the first is spent studying English, and the second studying relevant science subjects; the last three years are dedicated to core degree units. A medicine degree takes seven years. The public university is normally visited by Omanis only. Expatriates go - as a general rule - to private universities or study abroad.
Oman's Ministry of Higher Education administers six colleges of applied sciences. These were formerly colleges of education, but in 2005 Royal Decree No. 62/2007 was issued to transform them to better cater to the current labor market in fields such as international business administration, communication, design, engineering, and IT. They are located in Ibri
, Nizwa
, Salalah
, Sohar
, Sur
, and Rustaq
. The College of Applied Sciences in Rustaq is the only one that still offers an education degree. The Ministry also has a department that sanctions private colleges and universities.
Oman's Ministry of Manpower operates the Higher College of Technology
in Muscat
and six colleges of technology in Al-Mussana, Ibra
, Ibri
, Nizwa
, Salalah
, and Shinas
. The Ministry of Health runs a number of health institutes to prepare assisting medical staff like nurses, paramedics and pharmacists. The Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs sanctions the Institute of Sharia Sciences. The Central Bank of Oman sanctions the College of Banking and Financial Studies.
As the number of students finishing secondary school goes up each year (44,000 were expected to finish in 2008), SQU
and other public colleges have become unable to cope with the demand. Since private colleges were very limited in the mid nineties, more and more students sought higher education in countries like the UAE, Jordan
and Egypt
. The government became aware of the trend and decided to encourage the private sector in Oman to form universities and colleges. The first private college was established in 1994. Since this date, a number of private colleges and universities have been started in Oman. Most of them focus on popular studies such as business administration and computer sciences. They are usually affiliated with Europe
an, Australia
n or American
institutions. The language of instruction is mainly English. A’Sharqiya University, in Ibra, opened its doors in the fall of 2010.
In the year 2003, Oman's Ministry of Higher Education approved the merger of five private run colleges in order to form the Muscat University. However, the plan to merge Fire Safety Engineering College, Majan College, Modern College of Business & Science, Middle East College of Information Technology and Mazoon College for Management and Applied Sciences failed (source: Oman Observer 18.7.2005). Currently, there is some talk that the plan to form Muscat University may be revived.
As part of the eOman initiative, applications for 2006/2007 higher education (public and private) places have been merged under one unified online system (Higher Education Admissions Center). Each higher education institute publishes the minimum entry requirement for each of its degrees and the student selects his or her choices in order of preference. When the Ministry of Education publishes secondary school results in mid July, these results are fed automatically into the system and offers are made in early August. Prior to the new system, the students had to submit their papers to the different institutes by themselves after the publication of results. The process was very inconvenient for the students and the admission departments as there was very little time and students had to travel a lot.
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
, though attendance is not mandatory at any level. In 1970 there were only three formal schools with 900 students in the whole country. Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
's national educational program expanded rapidly during the 1970s and the 1980s. In 2006–2007 about 560,000 students attended 1053 public schools. The number of students in private schools is about 20,000. There are also extensive programmes to combat adult illiteracy. Sultan Qaboos University
Sultan Qaboos University
Sultan Qaboos University, located in the city of Al Khoudh, in the Capital Region of Muscat, Oman, is the only public university in the Sultanate of Oman. Named after Qaboos bin Sa’id Al ‘Bu Sa’id, the Sultan of Oman, the university opened in 1986. At the time, it comprised five colleges:...
, the only national university near Muscat
Muscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
, was founded in 1986, and in 2006 it had 13,500 students. The 2006 Human Development Report
Human Development Report
The Human Development Report is an annual milestone publication by the Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Programme .-History:...
found the literacy rate to be 81.4% in adults (older than 15), up from 54.7% in 1990. For the same period, the youth (15-24) literacy rate increased from 85.6 to 97.3%. Public expenditure on education was reported to be 4.6% of GDP and 26.1% of total government spending.
Pre-school Education
Pre school education is provided to children less than 10 years old. It is offered by the private sector and some public organizations. Supervision is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Affairs. NurseryNursery school
A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
enrollment is very limited and estimated to be only 1%. Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
is available mostly in large cities and enrollment is estimated to be 15%.
Attendance usually extends from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the teacher being free to organize this period as she deems appropriate between school learning and artistic and leisure activities.
The Ministry of Education is in the process of finalizing the advanced curriculum for the kindergarten level, based on self-learning as a method and centered on the Omani child and on his/her environment, cultural heritage and civilization.
Some preschools have adopted an international curriculum such as the International Preschool Curriculum or the IB Early Years programme.
Basic Education
In 1997, the ministry began development work on a Basic Education programme to gradually replace the three level General Education system. The aim of the reform is to create a unified system covering the first ten years of schooling. Basic Education is organized into two cycles: the first cycle covers grades 1 to 4 and the second cycle covers grades 5 to 10. These two cycle are followed by two years of post-Basic Education system (secondary education). The first schools started to introduce the new system in the academic year 1998/1999.Higher education
The Omani higher education system is relatively young, as the first public university in Oman, Sultan Qaboos UniversitySultan Qaboos University
Sultan Qaboos University, located in the city of Al Khoudh, in the Capital Region of Muscat, Oman, is the only public university in the Sultanate of Oman. Named after Qaboos bin Sa’id Al ‘Bu Sa’id, the Sultan of Oman, the university opened in 1986. At the time, it comprised five colleges:...
was founded in 1986. Prior to the establishment of SQU
Sultan Qaboos University
Sultan Qaboos University, located in the city of Al Khoudh, in the Capital Region of Muscat, Oman, is the only public university in the Sultanate of Oman. Named after Qaboos bin Sa’id Al ‘Bu Sa’id, the Sultan of Oman, the university opened in 1986. At the time, it comprised five colleges:...
, the government sent some students to pursue higher education studies in neighboring Arab countries like UAE, Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. Also some students were awarded scholarships to study in the UK and America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
SQU is self administered and has nine colleges. The colleges of Arts and Social Sciences, Commerce and Economics, Education, Law, and Nursing offer bachelor's and some master's degrees. Starting from September 2008, SQU began introducing PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
studies in its colleges of Agriculture and Marine Sciences, Medicine and Health Sciences, Engineering, and Science. A bachelor's degree takes about five years, as the first is spent studying English, and the second studying relevant science subjects; the last three years are dedicated to core degree units. A medicine degree takes seven years. The public university is normally visited by Omanis only. Expatriates go - as a general rule - to private universities or study abroad.
Oman's Ministry of Higher Education administers six colleges of applied sciences. These were formerly colleges of education, but in 2005 Royal Decree No. 62/2007 was issued to transform them to better cater to the current labor market in fields such as international business administration, communication, design, engineering, and IT. They are located in Ibri
Ibri
- Wilayat Ibri :The Wilayat of Ibri is distinguished by is archaeological landmarks varying between forts, castles, and towers. Also, there are the remains of the town of Bat, which is the second archaeological site to be classified by UNESCO on the list of world heritage and culture sites, after...
, Nizwa
Nizwa
-Attractions:The main tourist attractions in the city are Nizwa Fort, the traditional Souq and Falaj Daris. In the 1990s, the Jama, the fort and the souq which sit next to each other in the centre were renovated using the same traditional materials...
, Salalah
Salalah
Salalah , is the capital and seat of the governor or Wali of the southern Omani province of Dhofar. The population of Salalah was 197,169 in 2009....
, Sohar
Sohar
Sohar is the most developed city in Sultanate of Oman outside the capital Muscat. It is about 200 kilometers north of Muscat. Sohar was an ancient capital of Oman and many believe it to be the birthplace of Sinbad the Sailor...
, Sur
Sur, Oman
Sur is a capital city of Ash Sharqiyah Region, northeastern Oman, on the coast of the Gulf of Oman. It is located at around , and is 93 miles southeast of the Omani capital Muscat. Historically the city is known for being an important destination point for sailors...
, and Rustaq
Rustaq
Rustaq is a town and wilayah in the Al Batinah Region of northern Oman. The city is located at .The wilayah of Rustaq is in the Western Hajar, in the south of the Batinah. Rustaq was once the capital of Oman, during the era of Imam Nasir bin Murshid al Ya'arubi...
. The College of Applied Sciences in Rustaq is the only one that still offers an education degree. The Ministry also has a department that sanctions private colleges and universities.
Oman's Ministry of Manpower operates the Higher College of Technology
Higher College of Technology
Higher College of Technology is a public college owned by the Ministry of Manpower of Oman. It is the second largest higher education institution in Oman catering for over 9000 students studying in various programs....
in Muscat
Muscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
and six colleges of technology in Al-Mussana, Ibra
Ibra
Ibra is the second largest city in the Ash Sharqiyah Region of Oman. It is located about 140 km from Muscat and has a population estimated at 35,000 people....
, Ibri
Ibri
- Wilayat Ibri :The Wilayat of Ibri is distinguished by is archaeological landmarks varying between forts, castles, and towers. Also, there are the remains of the town of Bat, which is the second archaeological site to be classified by UNESCO on the list of world heritage and culture sites, after...
, Nizwa
Nizwa
-Attractions:The main tourist attractions in the city are Nizwa Fort, the traditional Souq and Falaj Daris. In the 1990s, the Jama, the fort and the souq which sit next to each other in the centre were renovated using the same traditional materials...
, Salalah
Salalah
Salalah , is the capital and seat of the governor or Wali of the southern Omani province of Dhofar. The population of Salalah was 197,169 in 2009....
, and Shinas
Shinas
Shinas , population 43,312 as of 2005, is a coastal town in northern Oman, near the border between Oman and United Arab Emirates.Shinas has a distinctive collection of traditional buildings...
. The Ministry of Health runs a number of health institutes to prepare assisting medical staff like nurses, paramedics and pharmacists. The Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs sanctions the Institute of Sharia Sciences. The Central Bank of Oman sanctions the College of Banking and Financial Studies.
As the number of students finishing secondary school goes up each year (44,000 were expected to finish in 2008), SQU
Sultan Qaboos University
Sultan Qaboos University, located in the city of Al Khoudh, in the Capital Region of Muscat, Oman, is the only public university in the Sultanate of Oman. Named after Qaboos bin Sa’id Al ‘Bu Sa’id, the Sultan of Oman, the university opened in 1986. At the time, it comprised five colleges:...
and other public colleges have become unable to cope with the demand. Since private colleges were very limited in the mid nineties, more and more students sought higher education in countries like the UAE, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. The government became aware of the trend and decided to encourage the private sector in Oman to form universities and colleges. The first private college was established in 1994. Since this date, a number of private colleges and universities have been started in Oman. Most of them focus on popular studies such as business administration and computer sciences. They are usually affiliated with Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n or American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
institutions. The language of instruction is mainly English. A’Sharqiya University, in Ibra, opened its doors in the fall of 2010.
In the year 2003, Oman's Ministry of Higher Education approved the merger of five private run colleges in order to form the Muscat University. However, the plan to merge Fire Safety Engineering College, Majan College, Modern College of Business & Science, Middle East College of Information Technology and Mazoon College for Management and Applied Sciences failed (source: Oman Observer 18.7.2005). Currently, there is some talk that the plan to form Muscat University may be revived.
As part of the eOman initiative, applications for 2006/2007 higher education (public and private) places have been merged under one unified online system (Higher Education Admissions Center). Each higher education institute publishes the minimum entry requirement for each of its degrees and the student selects his or her choices in order of preference. When the Ministry of Education publishes secondary school results in mid July, these results are fed automatically into the system and offers are made in early August. Prior to the new system, the students had to submit their papers to the different institutes by themselves after the publication of results. The process was very inconvenient for the students and the admission departments as there was very little time and students had to travel a lot.