News & Event

The School Education Development and Structuring Project Management Office at the Ministry of Education held a meeting for all members of the formed teams, in the presence of Dr. Yahya Al Harthi, Director-General of the Directorate-General of Curriculum Development and Acting Director of the School Education Development and Structuring Project Management Office, to discuss the educational ladder, the study plan, and the educational tracks. The meeting also discussed what has been accomplished in the vocational and technical education track, which will be implemented in the next academic year in (4) schools, two in Muscat Governorate, and two in Al Batinah South Governorate in the fields of entrepreneurship and information technology.

The meeting included the presentation of three papers, where Dr. Yahya Al Harthi, Director-General of the Directorate-General of Curriculum Development, presented an introductory paper on the Education Development Project Management Office and its structure. The paper pointed out the most important functions of the office represented in following up the decisions of the Steering Committee, supervising the general framework of the school education development project and its structure, and studying the proposed implementation plans to ensure compatibility and harmony between the study plan and educational paths.

In his paper, the Director-General touched on the most important terms of reference of the technical teams concerned with the implementation of the project, such as the educational ladder and study plan implementation team, represented in preparing executive work plans for the application of the educational ladder and the study plan, setting its own performance indicators, and studying the perceptions of curriculum development and educational calendar according to the study plan. The terms of reference of the two teams for the implementation of vocational and technical education were to determine the requirements for the implementation of vocational and technical education, the challenges and solutions to overcome them, and to hold meetings with the competent authorities to discuss the requirements in coordination with the Project Management Office, and to hold discussion sessions with specialists in the educational field on developments in the implementation of the vocational and technical education.

Muhammad Al-Wahaibi, Director of the Curricula Studies and Development Office, presented the second paper entitled: “The Educational Ladder and Study Plan Implementation Team”, in which he discussed the educational ladder in the Sultanate of Oman, and that schools will be categorized according to grades (1-4) (5-8) (9-12) with keeping the Basic education for grades (1-10), and the post-basic education for grades (11-12). The paper also dealt with comparisons between the study plan for grades (1-8) where subjects will be reduced from (11) to (9) subjects between basic subjects, accompanying subjects, and grades (9-10), in which the selecting options stage start, introducing basic and elective subjects, reducing the number of subjects from (12) to (8) subjects. The study plan for grades (11-12) has more flexibility in offering tracks in proportion to the local needs so that the students begin to form their educational path by choosing the path that corresponds to their tendencies and abilities. The paper also reviewed the implementation plan for the study plan for the general track which will begin for grades (1-4) in the academic year 2023 / 2024, and the plan for authoring and developing textbooks.

Dr. Atom Al-Khatri, Assistant Director of the Office of the School Education Development and Structuring Management Project, delivered the third paper on the vocational and technical education (business administration and information technology), in which she clarified that the study subjects in business administration are divided into main subjects (Islamic education, Arabic language, Mathematics, Social studies), and specialized subjects (specialized English language, introduction to business, commercial marketing, commercial decision-making, training in the business world). She also stated that the study materials in information technology are represented in main subjects (Islamic education, Arabic language, Mathematics, Social studies), and specialized subjects (specialized English language, information systems management, database management, software development, robotics, and social media in business). The language of instruction will be English, so that the main and elective subjects are taught according to the curricula of the Ministry of Education for grades (11-12), and specialized subjects according to the BETC program applied in a private educational institution.

In her paper, Dr. Atom referred to the BTEC program as an international vocational and technical program from Pearson International in partnership with the Modern College of Commerce and Science. The certificate is equivalent to A levels 2 international BTEC diploma from Pearson and depends on acquiring professional skills in information technology and business administration. She also clarified the application mechanism as the two fields are applied in some public schools in cooperation with an educational institution in a way that students are taught the main and elective subjects by the staff of the Ministry of Education, while the specialized subjects are taught by the staff of the contracted educational institutions, provided that the teaching is carried out in an integrated manner in the public school.

On what was discussed in the meeting, Muhammad Al-Wahaibi, Director of the Curriculum Studies and Development Office, said: “The specializations of energy and minerals will be applied starting from the next academic year 2024/2025, and it will be applied in two male schools, a school in Muscat Education, and a school in North Al Batinah Education. The application will be in cooperation with the Opal Energy Association, which is an association representing the oil and gas sector, and (6) specializations will be applied (lifting and lowering operations, occupational health and safety, maintenance of solid facilities, welding and metal forming, mechanical manufacturing engineering, engineering maintenance), and preparations are in place to build the curricula, and to take all necessary precautions for the application process.”