Education System in Oman

Historical Background of Education in Oman

The era before the 1970s is also called the era of Dark Age. The Dark Age title is used to refer to the lack of education among people in Oman (Issan, 2005). Since many centuries, education in Oman was only pursued by some people. The education of these people was based on traditional Islamic methods. At that time in Oman, people used to study Arabic language, arithmetic, and Islamic teachings. This education system has been prevailing in Islamic societies since the beginning of Islam. In the educational system of Oman, the traditional educational practices of Mecca and Medina were taught. The examples of these education traditions include Mazen Bin Khadoba School in Sohar in the North West of Omansed (Al-Dhahab, 1987).

Traditional Education

Before 1970s, there was no formal educational system in Oman. The educational provisions for male and female were absent. Most of the students used to acquire the religious knowledge and education through Quran. This formal system was known as Katatib. This system of education was not located in a school building but at an open space. In the Katatib system, students used to learn the Arabic language along with Islamic rules. At that time, parents were very interested to send their kids to Katatib in order to increase their horizon of knowledge of Islam. The schooling of children, at that time, was influenced by the social and tribal system. In rich families, parents used to invite teachers home in order to educate their children. At homes, children used to learn reading, writing, and mathematics. However, the primary aim of education was to read the Quran. People used to realize this dream through different ways. For instance, poor people used to get the support of their neighbours in order to teach them Quran (Saqib, 1983) . There were many people in Oman who lacked education. The significance transformation in education in Oman took place when Sultan Qaboon came into power.

The Beginnings of Formal Government Education

Before Sultan Qaboos came into power, formal education in Oman was very limited. There were many people who lacked the opportunity of going to school. There were only two schools that were famous at that time including the First and the Second Royal School. The First Royal School was opened in 1930 in the regime of Sultan Said Bin Taimor Bin Faisal. The First School was operated by the government of Oman. The Second Royal School was opened in 1935 that replaced the former. After five years, another school, named Saeedya, was also opened in Oman.

The focus of these schools was on teaching Quran, Arabic language, as well as simple arithmetic. There were no dedicated and separate buildings for school. However, the homes of people were used for educational purpose. Education and schooling was not common all over the country. However, it was only present in Muscat and Salalah. Therefore, schools only used to provide educational services to people living in these ...