News & Event

Based on the royal directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq to implement vocational and technical education in post-basic education, and in fulfillment of the principle of partnership with educational and training institutions, the Ministry of Education signed a contract with the Modern College of Commerce and Science, yesterday (Monday) morning, for the application of vocational and technical education for the “Business Administration and Information Technology” specializations. The contract was signed by HE Dr. Madiha bin Ahmed Al Shaibaniya, Minister of Education, and Dr. Munir bin Muhammad Al Maskari, CEO of the Modern College, at the Ministry’s General Diwan.

The signing of the contract was attended from the Ministry by Suleiman Al-Harasi, Advisor to the Minister for Studies and Research, Sheikh Yaqoub Al-Shuhaimi, Director-General of the Center for Career and Students Guidance, Dr. Yahya Al-Harthi, Director-General of the Directorate-General of Curriculum Development, and Dr. Atom Al-Khatri, Assistant Director in the Office of the School Education Development and Structuring Project, and from the college, Dr. Said Al-Kitani, Assistant Dean for Community Communication, and Dr. Ahmed Al-Numani, Assistant CEO.

The Director-General of the Directorate-General of Curriculum Development, Dr. Yahya Al Harthi, said: “The signing of the contract comes within the framework of the Ministry’s direction towards building effective partnerships with private educational and training institutions in the Sultanate of Oman, and enhancing their roles in vocational and technical education by formulating policies and directions, and proposing accredited international programs and specializations, and participating in preparing curricula and aligning them with international professional standards. The Ministry began, at the beginning of the current academic year 2023/2024, implementing vocational and technical education in the specializations of business administration and information technology, for grade 11 in some government schools, in cooperation with the Modern College of Commerce and Science, in four schools, two schools for boys and two schools for girls, in the governorates of Muscat and North Al Batinah, as part of its plan to implement vocational and technical education in the post-basic education stage.”

He also stated: “The choice of the college came to reinforce the principle of partnership with the private sector, and in view of the college’s accumulated experience and qualified cadres to implement vocational and technical education, develop the efficiency of human resources, enhance quality, build professional standards, and approve training and educational programs. The signing of the contract is a step towards strengthening that partnership to achieve the desired goals of vocational and technical education, which aim to provide students with professional knowledge, skills, and values, and an attractive environment that enhance entrepreneurship skills, and prepare graduates capable of competing in the labor market. It also aims to enhancing society’s culture of the importance of vocational and technical education, and preparing capable graduates who possess the technical knowledge and skills that qualify them to contribute effectively to the sustainable development of the country.

The CEO of the Modern College of Commerce and Science said: “Vocational and technical education contributes to providing job opportunities for students and helps them acquire the practical skills and knowledge necessary to integrate into the labor market. This type of education is also considered an ideal alternative for students who want to develop specific skills that qualify them for work in a specific professional field through the vocational and technical education systems. Because the college possesses the necessary experience, competencies, and licenses to implement this type of education, reinforced by international programs accredited in most higher education institutions, whether inside or outside the Sultanate of Oman, this partnership comes with the Ministry of Education to ensure the quality of professional educational programs that are compatible with professional standards approved locally and internationally. The Modern College values the Ministry’s trust in its work, which emphasizes its keenness to provide high-quality programs that ensure students acquire theoretical and practical skills in a way that serves the ministry’s directions and achieves the provision of qualified cadres for the labor market.”

It is worth noting that the Ministry of Education intends to establish similar partnerships with educational and training institutions and other economic sectors, within the framework of a plan to gradually expand the application of vocational and technical education in the remaining governorates.