Educational Ideology in Oman

Lecture Seven
Education in Oman Before and After 1970

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Merah Souad

Faculty of Education and Arts, Sohar
University

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Introduction: Oman’s Historical Background
• Over 100,000 years of prehistoric human occupation have taken place in Oman.
• In the late 17th century, the Imam of Oman, Saif bin Sultan, began a process of
expansion down the east coast of Africa.
• In 1749, Al Said dynasty came to power in Oman after driving out the Persians who
invaded in 1737.
• In 1783, the Omani Empire expanded to Gwadar in present-day Pakistan. Oman
became a powerful regional trading power based on maritime trade.
Oman: Historical Background

• In 1856, however, the Omani Empire was divided into the Sultanate of Oman and
Muscat and the Sultanate of Zanzibar.
• In 1891, Oman and Muscat became a British Protectorate. For much of this period, the
Sultan controlled the coast around Muscat while the Imam governed the interior from
Nizwa.
• Under the 1951 Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation, Oman received
independence from Britain.
Source: https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/an-enduring-relationship-a-history/a-history-of-oman/
 Oman before 1970
• Before 1970 the sultanate was poor
• Lack of infrastructure
• Lack of Medical Care
• Lack of educational establishments
• High Illiteracy rate: According to a Swiss newspaper, the illiteracy rate in Oman
according to a census conducted in 1970 was about 80%.
(Source:
https://www.aljazeera.net/politics/2020/1/11/%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%B3-%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AC%D8%BA%D8%A8%D9%88%
D8%A8-%D8%B8%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%B2%D9%84-%D8%BA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%88
The Status of Education in Oman before 1970
• One of the first schools in Oman was established in Muscat in 1871 known as the Al Zawawi School in Al-Khor
Mosque next to Al Jalali Fort
• A shift from a traditional educational system to a more formal one was in the 1930s when schools were established
with limited content and multiple subjects that were taught by teachers by the state. (Noor, al Najar, 2016)
• By 1969/70 Oman had only three schools staffed by 30 male teachers who were educating 900 boys at the primary
level.
A Question for Reflection and Discussion
Why do you think Girls were not given the same opportunity to enroll in formal schools?

• Education for girls was introduced quite late it began in the 1970/71 academic year, preparatory schools were
introduced in 1972/73 and the first secondary school started to function in 1973/74.
 A Question for Reflection and Discussion

Why do you think Girls were not given the same opportunity to enroll in formal schools?

• Education for girls was introduced quite late it began in the 1970/71 academic year, preparatory
schools were introduced in 1972/73 and the first secondary school started to function in 1973/74.
The Status of Education in Oman before 1970
• The dominance of the religious school system and mosque study groups (halaqah)
• Concentration on Religious studies: Qur’anic studies, Arabic, and in some cases Mathematics.
• The utilization of conventional methods in teaching (rote teaching: the process of memorizing
information based on repetition.)
• There was no proper and well-constructed curriculum
• The curriculum was designed mostly by teachers
• There was no proper system of Assessment
• The infrastructure was not conducive to learning
Sources: (Noor al Najar 2016, Maryam al Nabhani, 2007)
 Thank you

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