A total of 876,117 students will start their new academic year (2026/2027) on Sunday in 1,298 schools spread across the Sultanate of Oman.
The number of male students enrolled for the new academic year stands at 440,899, while the number of female students reached 435,218. A total of 3,903 students are registered in special educational programmes in the public and private schools. Schools are distributed as follows: 341 schools for grades 1-4, 128 schools for grades 5-8, and 165 schools for grades 9-12, in addition to 664 continuing schools in addition to 115 evening schools.
The total number of teaching, administrative, and technical staff in public schools for the 2026/2027 academic year stands at 68,205. This includes 21,011 male teachers, 47,194 female teachers, and 12,200 administrative and technical staff of whom 4,832 are male and 7,368 are female.
Dr Madeeha bint Ahmed al Shaibani, Minister of Education, congratulated students, teachers, and workers on the occasion of the new academic year.
The minister of education said that the institutional transformation in the education sector, with the merger of the erstwhile ministry of education and ministry of higher education, research and innovation into the Ministry of Education, embodies a national vision for an integrated education system. This system unifies policies and connects the educational pathway from pre-school to higher education thereby enhancing alignment between educational outcomes and labour market requirements to improve the efficiency of the education system.
QUALITY OF EDUCATION
The minister of education explained that the ministry has a priority to improve the quality of school and higher education through several pillars, the most prominent of which is ensuring quality education. Within the framework of education sector governance, the ministry attaches great importance to the results of external evaluations of public and private schools, as well as the institutional and programme accreditation procedures for non-governmental higher education institutions, which are implemented by the Oman Authority for Quality Assurance of Education.
The ministry is committed to utilising the outcomes of these processes to empower institutions to develop their performance and improve the quality of graduates.
The minister of education stressed that investing in teachers is an investment in the future of the nation being the cornerstone upon which the quality of education and its lasting impact are based. She noted that the ministry is proud of its qualified teachers who are dedicated to their profession and their country, selected according to the highest standards and possessing specialised knowledge and professional competence. Therefore, teacher preparation and development programmes, as well as the development of admission systems for teachers in various universities and colleges according to best practices, receive continuous attention to keep pace with the rapid transformations in education and respond to future needs.
The minister commended the Specialised Institute for Vocational Training for Teachers for its high-quality programmes that enhance professional development and performance excellence. She also praised the inclusion of the Professional Diploma for Senior Teachers at Level 9 of the National Qualifications Framework this year.
Regarding curriculum development, the minister said that the ministry continues to develop curricula and study plans by leveraging modern educational trends and international standards. This enhances the flexibility of academic tracks and specialisations, expands students’ options to align with their interests, abilities, and aspirations, and contributes to building a generation equipped with future skills, capable of problem-solving and adapting to changing times and better prepared to pursue higher education and join the labour market.
The minister said, “The ministry continues to implement the vocational and technical education track in a number of schools across the Sultanate of Oman. This year will see an expansion in the application of engineering and industrial specialisations, travel and tourism specialisations, as well as information technology and business administration specialisations. On this occasion, I am pleased to congratulate the graduates of the first cohort in engineering and industrial specialisations and the second cohort in information technology and business administration specialisations, wishing them success in their professional lives.”
She added: “This year will witness the opening of 18 new school buildings in various governorates, in order to meet the growth in the number of students, reduce the number of schools with two shifts, replace old buildings, and add educational facilities, educational technologies and scientific laboratories with the aim of providing a more suitable and attractive environment for teaching and learning.”
