News & Event

In a move that reflects its ongoing commitment to investing in student health and providing a safe and student-friendly learning environment, the Ministry of Education continues its efforts to alleviate the physical burden of school bags for students in grades one through four. This is part of its efforts to promote students' physical and mental health and support the quality of the educational process in all schools in the Sultanate of Oman.

These efforts stem from educational and health studies that have demonstrated the negative impact of excessive school bag weight on students, particularly in the early stages of education. This has prompted the Ministry to adopt a package of regulatory and educational measures that are being implemented comprehensively across all public schools.

The project aims to regulate the number of books and notebooks used daily. Schools have been instructed to use only one notebook for all subjects in the first and one for the ones in second fields, with the number of pages not exceeding eighty. This is in addition to coordinating the distribution of assignments among teachers to ensure a reduced load inside the school bag. The Ministry has emphasized the need to limit the use of approved textbooks and completely eliminate the need for external notes and summaries. It has also activated the use of electronic books through the educational portal and provided links to them to parents to enable students to review them outside of school without having to carry paper copies.

These measures were complemented by regulating the use of classroom lockers. Each class was provided with designated lockers for storing books and supplies, and their use was restricted to serving the class period only. Additionally, materials and books for skill subjects were designated to be kept within the school and delivered to students only when needed.

Regarding the school schedule, the ministry has circulated a circular requiring to prepare and upload it to the educational portal early, emphasizing its consistency throughout the semester and distributing study materials in a way that ensures a balanced weight of school bags throughout the week. Homework assignments have also been organized in collaboration with teaching staff to avoid requiring students to bring all their books home on weekends or official holidays.

To raise awareness of the project's importance, the Ministry launched a comprehensive awareness campaign in schools, encompassing all elements of the school community. The campaign focused on explaining the new procedures and their benefits, raising awareness of the health risks of heavy backpacks, and identifying appropriate school bag specifications in terms of weight and design. Students were also trained on proper ways to carry their backpacks and organize their contents and were encouraged to use age-appropriate tools without excess baggage.

In the context of monitoring and evaluation, the Ministry has established clear mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of educational efforts. Schools submit semi-annual reports to educational supervision departments in November and March, in addition to a comprehensive report at the end of May, which includes the most important findings, challenges, and development proposals.

The combined efforts of various supporting educational agencies, including educational supervision departments, student guidance, career guidance, and educational media in the education directorates, ensured the project's effective implementation through field monitoring, organizing awareness programs, providing technical support, and submitting periodic reports to the ministry documenting the implementation stages and outcomes.

In addition to unifying efforts with relevant entities outside the ministry, such as the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Consumer Protection Authority, to enhance the availability of appropriate school bags in the local market and adhere to Gulf specifications for school bags.

The Ministry has strengthened its monitoring of the implementation of the measures by forming decentralized teams at the education directorate level and adopting an integrated implementation plan that regulates work procedures between the Ministry's General Diwan and the education directorates.

This project falls within the Ministry of Education's efforts to develop a more balanced school environment that is more in line with the needs of students in the early stages of education. The Ministry recognizes that reducing school bag burdens is not merely an administrative measure, but rather an investment in students' health and a prelude to a more effective, comfortable, and quality educational journey.