مجلس التعليم

An extract from a speech by the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said, may his soul rest in peace, on the occasion of the 7th National Day, 18 November 1977

" Education – upon which the future of our country must so largely depend has made highly significant progress. 54 new permanent schools have been constructed and are now in full operation. More than1,000 additional teachers have been engaged since the 1975-76 school year. These measures have enabled nearly 10,000 more of our children to commence formal education this year. The ultimate aim is that every boy and girl in the sultanate shall receive a minimum of 9 years> education. We have directed that no effort is to spared to achieve this aim as soon as possible.

We informed you last year that we determined that our young people should not only be educated but should receive an<Omani Education> - in addition to being taught academic subjects they should be instructed in our Omani culture and learn to value and cherish our great historical heritage. The stage has now been reached where, after careful study, a curriculum for our schools has been prepared which not only conforms to international academic standards, but also includes these essential Omani subjects.

But education must not only be a matter of academic and cultural instruction – it must also be concerned with the formation of character. Now that Oman is plying – and will increasingly play - an important role in world affairs, The growing impact of the 20^th Century on every aspect of the life of our country is evident to every one of us. Many of these new influences are good, and bringing the blessings of good health and a better life to our people. But it would be unrealistic to ignore the fact that there are other influences and pressures associated with modern life which can be morally and physically damaging to those who are exposed to them. These factors place a particularly heavy responsibility upon parents and upon those whose duty is to watch over and guide the upbringing of our children to ensure that the standards and values bequeathed to us by our Holy Religion and our Arab traditions are maintained.

Those who are to be future religious leaders of our country will be vitally concerned in this. Their training must enable them to understand the pressures and problems of modern life in order that they may exercise their leadership in a constructive and effective manner. We have therefore ordered that a review of the work of the Islamic Center at Wattayah be carried out in order that its graduates hall be fitted for the tasks that face them. Improvements are to be made in the curricula, notably the inclusion of secular subjects, which will produce mature teachers of Islam, familiar with the ways of modern society and will qualified to provide our people – and especially our young people – with the moral and spiritual guidance they must have".