More than 103,000 students enrolled in private schools in Oman

Muscat: More than 103,000 students were enrolled in private schools during the 2016/2017 academic year, according to the National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI). “103,358 was the total number of students in private schools for the school year 2016/2017,” NCSI said. The highest number of students in private schools amongst the governorates was Muscat at 46.5 per cent of all the private school students. There were more boys than girls enrolled in the private institutions last year. The NCSI stated that 54.8 per (56,676) cent of the students were male and 45.2 per cent (46,682) were female. “North Batinah came in at second place at 12.8 per cent, with Al Wusta governorate only having 77 students enrolled in private schools,” the NCSI reported. The center also stated that there were 8,666 teachers working in private schools for the same year. At the end of last month, the Ministry of Education announced the relocation of almost a thousand government teachers across the country. “The Ministry of Education has completed the transfer procedure of 944 teachers to whom the transfer conditions applied to according to the available vacancies. There were 102 male and 842 female teachers transported,” Mustafa bin Ali bin Abdullatif, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for Administrative and Financial Affairs, said. A spokesperson from the ministry stated that teachers are not obligated to move locations, and usually tend to pay for everything themselves. “This happens every year. How it works is that the teachers apply to move locations and they rate the 11 governorates based on their preference. This year, 709 applicants received their first choice. We try to give them what they want but of course it all depends on the vacancies of that area. “They are considered employees in the Ministry. Women tend to be designated more than men. Majority of female teachers tend to move after a year in their area. Sometimes they get married or are unhappy,” the spokesperson said in regard to the 89 per cent in female transferees.