Education & Training
From The Report: Oman 2018
View in Online Reader

Oman’s education sector has expanded rapidly since the 1970s, with the total number of schools in the sultanate rising from three in 1970 to 1725 in 2016. The sector is overseen by the Education Council, which was founded in 2012 to streamline all matters pertaining to education development in the country, and is composed of the country’s key education bodies, including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education. Although the Omani government has continued its rationalisation initiatives started in 2014, the education sector has remained largely insulated from major cutbacks. The reductions that have occurred are expected to open the way for greater private sector participation, with international interest fuelled by both Oman’s sizeable youth population, as well as the government’s continued focus on achieving a knowledge-based and diversified economy.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

A strong foundation: Increased private sector participation and government-led initiatives to fuel development and diversification
OBG
plus

Oman’s education sector has expanded rapidly since the 1970s, with the total number of schools in the sultanate rising from three in 1970 to 1725 in 2016. The sector is overseen by the Education Council, which was founded in 2012 to streamline all matters pertaining to education development in the country, and which is composed of the country’s key education bodies, including the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE). Private sector participation first…

Analysis

Work in progress: Increased awareness of vocational opportunities and government initiatives to cap high number of jobless graduates
OBG
plus

One of Oman’s most pressing challenges is youth unemployment, with new graduates making up a significant portion of the country’s unemployed citizenry. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information, 47% of Omani graduates are currently employed, and it takes roughly two and four years for male and female Omani graduates, respectively, to find a job. While unemployment rates fell steadily prior to 2014, the sudden drop in oil prices, and the subsequent cut in spending…