Education & Training

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.