Education System
Education System
When Sultan Qaboos Ibn Said seized power in 1970, the education system in the country was outdated and in no way future-oriented. There were only three boys' primary schools in the largest cities of the country, alongside the exclusively religiously motivated Quran school. At that time, only about 900 students were taught by 30 teachers. Given the population of approximately 700,000, the number of students at that time was very small.
From the beginning of his reign, Sultan Qaboos had the plan to lead his people into an era of prosperity and progress. His success in this can be attributed, on one hand, to the oil and gas reserves in the country and, on the other hand, to the development of a functioning and successful education system, which is partially based on the British education system.
How does the Omani education system work?
Sultan Qaboos Ibn Said was educated in England. This is why the school system in Oman is partially modeled after that in England. Thus, students first attend primary school, then middle school, and finally high school. With a high school diploma, one has the opportunity to enroll in a degree program at a higher education institution such as the state university.
The development of the school system is being effectively promoted
The importance of the development of the education system to the government in Oman is evident from the fact that high costs are incurred to make education accessible to everyone in the country. Over 1,530 public and private schools in the country, employing around 50,000 teachers, enable about 700,000 students to achieve a good educational level. Education in Oman is not dependent on income or background. School attendance is free in Oman. About a quarter of civil state expenditures goes into education. It is also notable that about 50% of the students are girls and young women – a rate that corresponds to the population proportions in the country.
Discover Oman with experts who have called it their home
Your dream holiday, tailor-made by experts.
We don't just know Oman from books, we visit the country several times a year to experience the culture, landscape and people first-hand.
From your first enquiry to your return home, we are there for you personally - by phone, email or WhatsApp, whenever you need us. Our trips are as unique as you are: individually planned and provided with exclusive privileges and high-quality arrangements that will make your trip unforgettable.
Experts for your Oman trip
You might also like this
Arabian Leopards
The Arabian leopard is one of the smallest subspecies of leopard and is native to the Arabian Peninsula. It is an endangered species that has been on the red list since 1996. The number of Arabian leopards is estimated to range from 80 to 300 individuals. No more precise figures are available. The coat of the Arabian leopard has a rosette pattern and colors range from pale yellow to golden to yellow-brown. Males weigh about 30 kilograms and stand 1.30 meters tall. Females weigh only 20 kilograms and are correspondingly smaller. Generally, the Arabian leopard is smaller than the African and Per...
Salalah Airport
The international airport of Salalah is located behind the airport in Muscat, the second largest in the country. The airport is about 10 kilometers from the city center and lies a little north of Salalah. From here, one can choose both domestic connections to Muscat and other regions of Oman as well as European destinations. History of the airport The airport of Salalah was opened in 1977. It was the time when Sultan Qaboos had just begun to implement the first significant improvements in infrastructure development. The very first reforms and construction projects benefited from the steady f...
Bedouins in Oman
Classically viewed, a Bedouin is a desert dweller who wanders as a nomad through the desert. Historically, nomads generally moved from grazing land to grazing land to ensure the survival of their herds and their respective tribe. The people in the coastal regions of Oman settled down long ago. In the fishing villages and smaller trading ports, people have lived as 'Hadr' for centuries—a term used to describe settled coastal dwellers. The Bedu (the term for desert tribes in Oman), on the other hand, have mostly settled down in recent decades. How many Bedouins are there in Oman? The country i...