Oman’s new academic year to focus more on innovation and AI

Oman’s new academic year will place innovation and artificial intelligence at the center of school education, alongside entrepreneurship, career guidance, scientific competitions and student leadership. Education Ministry officials said the priorities support the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.

The ministry plans to open 18 new school buildings to accommodate rising enrollment, reduce the number of double-shift schools, replace ageing facilities and expand laboratories and educational technology. Infrastructure spending includes OMR15 million for additions at 40 schools, OMR7 million for renovations at about 147 schools, OMR9.5 million for comprehensive maintenance and OMR2.6 million to prepare 52 science laboratories. The ministry has also replaced 96,000 air-conditioning units at a cost of OMR11 million.

The education system will have 68,205 educational, administrative and technical employees, including 21,011 male teachers and 47,194 female teachers. Education Minister Dr. Madiha bint Ahmed Al Shaibani said the ministry aims to improve school and higher education, strengthen governance and align educational outcomes with labor-market needs. She described the integration of the former education and higher education portfolios into one ministry as an important institutional transformation.

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The ministry’s priorities include improving the quality of school and higher education, strengthening governance and aligning educational outcomes with labour market needs.

Private education is also expanding, with the number of private schools expected to rise to 1,366 from 1,264 last year. Vocational and technical programs will cover engineering, industry, travel and tourism, information technology and business administration. The programs will expand from four governorates to six, adding South Al Sharqiyah and South Al Batinah.

The ministry has introduced 11 curricula and revised six others. Chinese will be available as an optional Grade 12 subject in participating schools, while Grades 7 and 8 will have 10 subjects instead of 11. The Noor platform now operates in all schools, and virtual laboratories will allow students in Grades 2 to 12 to conduct about 387 experiments. The ministry will also introduce an AI framework covering responsible use, teacher training, digital literacy and pilot projects.

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The move is an important institutional transformation aimed at creating a more integrated educational system from pre-school through higher education.