News & Event

HE Dr. Madiha bint Ahmed Al Shaibaniya, Minister of Education, patronized today (Sunday) the official announcement and receipt of the approval of the University College of London for six (6) strategic programs affiliated with the Specialized Institute for Professional Training for Teachers, namely: the Mathematics Experts Program, the Supervision Experts Program, the New Teachers Program, the Arabic Language Experts Program (1-4), the Senior Teachers Program, and the Science Experts Program, in the presence of HE Prof. Dr. Abdullah bin Khamis Ambosaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education, a number of the Minister’s advisors, Dr. Said Al Amri, Head of the Office of HE the Minister, Dr. Intisar Ambosaidi, Director-General of the Specialized Institute for Professional Training for Teachers, a number of stakeholders and heads of the teams of trainers of the six strategic programs at the Specialized Institute, and a representative of the University College of London, at the Ministry’s General Diwan.

Dr. Intisar Ambosaidi, Director-General of the Specialized Institute for Professional Training for Teachers, expressed her pride in the success of the Specialized Institute in obtaining the approval of (6) of its strategic programs, pointing out the importance of this step in enhancing the quality of education, raising the professional competence of teachers, and empowering them with the skills necessary to teach efficiently and professionally in line with international standards and meeting the needs of the local education system.

On the importance of the Specialized Institute obtaining accreditation for the six strategic programs, Dr. Intisar Ambosaidi explained: ‘On March 14, 2018, University College London granted accreditation certificates to the Specialized Institute for the programs: Mathematics Experts, Supervision Experts, Science Experts, New Teachers, Arabic Language Experts (1-4), and Senior Teachers; so that the qualifications granted by the Specialized Institute become at the level of a higher education diploma. This accreditation for the programs of the Specialized Institute confirms that its programs meet the standards and requirements of Level 6 of the Quality Assurance Agency Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Wales.”

As for the stages of obtaining the certifications for these six strategic programs, Ministry of Education contracted with the London Institute of Education (currently known as University College London) on June 25, 2015, to provide academic support services to the specialized institute (which was then called the specialized center) to provide a set of services that included: First: Library services for the main library at the specialized institute. The project included providing advice and assistance in selecting and maintaining sources, developing, and implementing the library indexing system and the reciprocal borrowing system, promoting, and marketing the library’s uses, and providing a resident expert in library management to be present at the institute’s headquarters.

Providing academic support services for the institute’s specialized programs came in second. The project included conducting an internal and external update to certify the programs: Arabic language, science, mathematics, new teachers, supervision experts, and senior teachers, and certifying programs that comply with the specifications and requirements of appropriate academic degrees and implementing a system to determine the procedures to achieve the academic accreditation requirements by the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority and Quality Assurance of Education. Work was done on the accreditation requirements for five programs: Arabic language experts, mathematics experts, science experts, supervision experts, and the senior teachers program. The institute’s programs specified in the contract met those requirements, and thus the institute was granted accreditation certificates from University College of London on March 14, 2018, for these programs in addition to the new teachers program.

Dr. Intisar Ambosaidi explained: “The Specialized Institute is working to accredit its strategic programs internationally, and to include them in the National Qualifications Framework of the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority and Education Quality Assurance locally to ensure the quality of strategic programs, and to achieve Goal (45) of the Tenth Five-Year Plan, which is to work on the quality of programs in accordance with local and international standards. The importance of listing and accreditation of the Specialized Institute’s programs is to enhance the reputation of the institution and its programs locally and globally, enhance community confidence in the training programs provided by the institution and the quality of its outputs, ensure that the institution meets the minimum standards and requirements of quality, and ensure that there is an external evaluation of the educational institution or training program.”