News & Event

The Ministry of Education, represented by the Directorate-General of Private Schools, under the patronage of HE Majid bin Said Al Bahri, Undersecretary of the Ministry for Administrative and Financial Affairs, held the “Annual Meeting of Directors and Heads of Departments of Private Schools in the Governorates’ Directorates of Education,” which lasted for (5) days at the Maani Hotel Muscat.

The organization of this forum comes with the aim of exchanging experiences in the field of private school education, reviewing successful experiences at the local and international levels, promoting integration between governmental and private entities to ensure the sustainability of quality and raise the efficiency of the educational system, in addition to discussing the common challenges facing private schools and looking for practical solutions to them, presenting governmental initiatives related to private education, regulatory requirements, licensing laws, quality projects, developing the educational environment to be safe, stimulating and supportive for students, teachers and school administration, and reviewing international and local experiences in infrastructure, quality, curricula, child protection, inclusive education and school governance.

The opening program of the forum began with a speech by the Ministry, delivered by Dr. Khadija Al-Salami, Director-General of the Directorate-General of Private Schools, in which she said: “We meet today under a slogan that reflects our shared vision: ‘Towards Sustainable Private School Education… Integration of Roles and Exchange of Experiences,’ which embodies a national and strategic direction that reflects the magnitude of the responsibility placed on the education sector, especially private school education, as it is one of the basic pillars in building the Omani individual and shaping the future. The Sultanate of Oman has witnessed rapid growth in the private school education sector during the past years, and recent statistics indicate that the number of private schools in the Sultanate has reached 1,276 schools in the current academic year, a number that reflects a clear expansion in the sector, with an annual increase rate of up to 4%. This growth is not just a numerical increase, but it indicates an expansion in the educational options offered to our children, and the sector’s ability to accommodate the growing needs of Omani society, and the level of competitiveness that educational institutions are keen on in order to provide better services. The Sultanate has also witnessed a remarkable increase in the volume of investments in the private international schools sector. This growth reflects the Sultanate’s keenness to diversify the education system and provide multiple options that keep pace with the requirements of the times and the aspirations of families.”

In her speech, Dr. Khadija Al-Salami explained that this forum includes a rich and diverse program, in which government agencies representing key sectors participate, such as: the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, the National Autism Center, and other government bodies and departments directly related to the development of private school education. The program also includes various working papers, specialized seminars, discussion sessions, presentations of field experiences, and field visits to some private schools.

The opening ceremony program of the forum included the launch of the Guide to Safe Learning Environments for Children, which is an integrated approach based on understanding the developmental characteristics of the early education stage as a basis for designing learning environments that respond to the child's needs and growth. The guide addresses health, safety and security requirements and the importance of safe outdoor spaces in a way that is appropriate to the child's growth and enhances independence. It also provides a practical framework for planning the physical learning environment from an educational perspective, reviewing the role of the early education teacher in preparing the learning room, organizing corners and distributing furniture in a way that supports active learning, purposeful play and exploration, in addition to the requirements of learning rooms, furniture specifications, classroom arrangement and description of the components of educational corners in a way that enhances the child's comprehensive development.

The forum discusses more than (25) working papers in five main themes, which are studying ways to develop resources and opportunities to enhance private education, improving private school education: improving the quality of educational programs and teaching methods, providing a healthy and safe environment that ensures the balanced growth of students, focusing on school designs and facilities that achieve environmental sustainability, and enhancing knowledge of the laws and regulations governing the educational process in private schools.