News & Event

The Ministry of Education, represented by the Directorate-General of Information Technology, has completed the first phase of the 3D printer distribution project, targeting 339 schools across the governorates. The project was implemented with the participation of the Directorate-General of Curriculum Development, the Directorate-General of Educational Supervision, the Directorate-General of Projects and Services, and the Information Technology Project Management Office, with support from Petroleum Development Oman, Al Suwadi Energy, SMN Power Holding, and Oman Arab Bank.

The project includes providing 3D printers to government schools, which include the grade 10, with a number of (640) schools, applying the 3D modeling unit for the IT curriculum, with one to two printers for each school depending on the student density and the number of computer labs in the school; in addition to providing the printing material, as these printers will allow students to use them to print various models during the teaching of IT.

The first phase was implemented over the past three months of this year. It included receiving 3D printers from the supplier, distributing them to the schools targeted in the first phase, and training supervisors, IT teachers, and school and office equipment support technicians on how to install, operate, and use the 3D printers.

The project aims to introduce students to 3D printing technology and its importance to the local and global economy in the current century, as it is considered one of the key technologies of the future. It also aims to instill values ​​and principles, develop the skills necessary for entrepreneurship, integrate information technology with other academic subjects, and implement student projects that serve the academic subjects. It also aims to highlight the importance of providing the modern technologies needed to implement global chains for information technology, a priority and concern of the Ministry of Education.

Khatem Al-Maamari, Assistant Director of the Technical Support and Devices Management Department at the Directorate-General of Information Technology, said: “The importance of the 3D printer provision project lies in empowering students and preparing them for the future by introducing them to artificial intelligence technologies and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The project aims to equip students with 21st-century skills, such as entrepreneurship, innovation, and handling modern technologies, as well as enhancing their thinking and research skills.”

Moatasem Al Naabi, IT Supervisor at the Educational Supervision Department at South Al Batinah Education Directorate-General, said: “There are several aspects to benefit from this project, the most important of which are: employing visual and tangible educational tools to enable teachers and students to measure the extent of their understanding of skills and knowledge, transforming the project into projects and ideas that serve the subject and the school using educational tools for other subjects, and creating tools that help in innovation without high costs.”

Abeer Al Maawali, IT Supervisor at the Educational Supervision Department at the South Al Batinah Education Directorate-General, said: “3D printers are an important educational tool in schools, as they provide students with a practical and interactive learning experience that enhances understanding and creativity. Their availability to support the 10th grade curriculum, “3D Modeling Unit,” is a fundamental step towards promoting interactive and creative learning and gives students the opportunity to transform their ideas into tangible models, which enhances a deeper understanding of engineering and design concepts.