(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Increased public expenditure is playing a crucial role in improving Oman's education sector.
This was revealed in Alpen Capital's GCC Education Industry Report which shows that the education sector in the GCC region is on a growth trajectory.
The growth prospects of the sector are based on the current developments, key market dynamics, and existing investment opportunities in the region.
Education and training were awarded US$3.38bn or ten per cent of all projected state spending in Oman's 2013 budget report, which was announced in January 2014.
This was 25 per cent more in real terms than last year.
In its latest Vision 2020 document as well Oman has reiterated its commitment towards further development of the education sector, preparing students for industry as well as higher education
Concrete steps towards this goal include curriculum revision, trained teachers, and focus on entrepreneurial education, to name a few.
The report further adds that the government's decision to increase its focus on education comes at a time when Oman's private sector is struggling to fill vacancies, despite high unemployment in many regions.
The concept of pre-primary education is also gradually gaining ground in the country in the form of nurseries and kindergartens, states the report, adding that in 2012, the pre-primary enrollment rates stood at an impressive 54.6 per cent, up from a mere 6.5 per cent in 2000.
The government of Oman has identified education as the foundation for building the country's intellectual capital.
There were 890 basic education schools operated by the Ministry of Education in 2012, which accommodated 538,313 students.
Between 2009 and 2012, enrolments in the primary segment at private schools dropped at a 4.2 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to reach 50,600 students in 2012. Similarly, enrolments in the secondary segment at private schools increased at a 3.6 per cent CAGR from 24,200 in 2009 to 27,000 in 2012.
Oman is home to 27 private universities that catered to as many as 35,000 students, as on October 2013, states the report.
The government offers internal as well as external scholarships as part of its undergraduate scholarship programmes.
Internal scholarships are financial aid towards higher education.
During the academic year 2012-2013, as many as 9,738 internal scholarships were issued. The government sponsored the overseas graduate-level education of 1,395 students during the academic year 2012-2013.
In line with the rising number of Omanis seeking post-graduate education abroad, the government also introduced new external scholarship programmes under which, it disbursed 1,000 post-graduate scholarships over five years.
The report further recommends that the quality of education faces challenges due to shortage of skilled teachers and vocational training.
The report suggested the government to provide counselling to students to prepare them for the job market.
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