Muscat – In its statement, the Ministry pointed out that public education in the Sultanate of Oman continues to earn the trust of the community, supported by official data and quality assurance mechanisms in both public and private education sectors.
The Ministry revealed that, in the current academic year, over 10,000 students transferred from private to public schools, while only 5,000 students moved from public to private schools. This trend, the Ministry stated, reflects the growing confidence among parents in the quality, accessibility, and range of services offered by public schools across the Sultanate.
Addressing the perception that enrolling children in private schools is driven by prestige or status, the Ministry clarified that private and international schools offer specialised programmes, including bilingual and international curricula, which some families may choose as an educational investment based on their child’s needs.
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The Ministry added that such choices represent the diversity of educational opportunities available in Oman and are not necessarily an indicator of dissatisfaction with the public system.
Contrary to the suggestion that private schools operate independently, the Ministry affirmed that both public and private schools are subject to the same technical and administrative oversight. This includes educational supervision, monitoring, support, and evaluation.
In 2025, the Oman Authority for Academic Accreditation and Quality Assurance of Education (OAAAQA) began comprehensive evaluations of school performance, covering approximately 30 private schools and 70 public schools in Muscat, Ad Dakhiliyah, and South Al Batinah — all assessed against the same national standards.
“This confirms that the issue of educational quality in the Sultanate of Oman is not linked to one sector or another. Rather, it is a comprehensive national framework subject to the same standards.
“Based on scientific data and accurate indicators, it can be said that reality indicates that public education remains the first choice for the majority, and that private education represents a complementary path that adds diversity and specialisation. Educational supervision and institutional accreditation are currently working to ensure the quality of education in both sectors, making any proposal based on general impressions far from the true picture of the educational field,” the Ministry concluded.
