Tuesday, February 24, 2009

The Development Of Education In Oman
















With only three boys schools open in 1970, Oman now has over 1,000 government run schools, providing free education from grades one to twelve, for both boys and girls.

In 1998 and 2007, the "Basic" and "Post-basic" education structures were introduced respectively, which are similar to the UK's primary and secondary systems. Further reforms have seen the introduction of a broad national curriculum, new teaching strategies, educational resources and types of student assessment.

"Basic" education comprises two main parts: Cycle One (grades 1 to 4) and Cycle Two (grades 5 to 10).
"Post-basic" education comprises grades 11 and 12.
In Cycle One, boys and girls are educated together, while from grade 5 onwards they are educated separately.
There is a mandatory national curriculum for schools in Oman, however, teachers are encouraged to design their own activities and develop new teaching techniques and materials.
Continuous assessment techniques are used in assessing students' achievement.
Child-centred activities are promoted in Omani classrooms
English language is taught from Grade 1.

The Ministry of Education in the Sultanate of Oman is committed to going global and tapping into the benefits of international school partnerships. There has never been a better time to form a partnership with an Omani school.

Education in Oman


Education in Oman is provided free of charge up to the end of secondary education, though attendance is not mandatory at any level. In 1970 there were only three formal schools with 900 students in the whole country. Oman's national educational program expanded rapidly during the 1970s and the 1980s. In 2006–2007 about 560,000 students attended 1053 public schools. The number of students in private schools is about 20,000. There are also extensive programmes to combat adult illiteracy. Sultan Qaboos University, the only national university near Muscat, was founded in 1986 and in 2006 it had 13,500 students. The 2006 Human Development Report found adult literacy rate to be 81.4% in adults (older than 15) up from 54.7% in 1990. For the same period youth (15-24) literacy rate increased from 85.6 to 97.3%. Public expenditure on education was reported to be 4.6% of GDP and 26.1% of total government spending

Education degrees



Graduate study implies the need for a minimum of formal courses and a maximum of independent work under wise supervision. Coursework, in itself, is an inappropriate determinant of graduate progress and achievement. The appropriate determinants are the ability of the qualified student to master the various qualifying and comprehensive examinations which a program requires of the student. That is, not an accumulation of courses, but satisfactory progress through stages of achievement is the mark of a successful graduate career. All work taken by a graduate student in the major area or area of concentration shall be at the graduate level (500 or above). The following Graduate Degrees and Credentials are offered in the School of Education: DEGREES


MASTER'S

A Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.) is an advanced degree and requires a minimum of 30 credit hours; however, all program requirements must be met to graduate. An undergraduate degree is one of the requirements for admission.
SPECIALIST

A Specialist in Education (Ed.S.) is a graduate degree requiring a minimum of 30 hours beyond a master’s degree. The specialist degree is independent of a doctoral degree. Specialist programs do not lead to additional certification.
DOCTORATE

A Doctor of Philosophy(Ph.D.) is a research focused degree that requires 85 credits beyond a bachelor’s degree. Ph.D. programs within the School of Education are highly competitive. Typical candidates have superior academic backgrounds, outstanding recommendations and strong professional experience. A Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) is a practitioner-focused degree that requires 84 credits beyond a bachelor’s (60 beyond the master’s). The Ed.D. program is guided by a practioner-scholar model that focuses on the application of knowledge and theory in education and the social sciences to improve educational practice. In contrast, Ph.D. programs generally follow a scientist-practitioner model.
CERTIFICATE

A certificate documents expertise in a particular area of knowledge. Certification requires 12 to 15 credit hours in relevant courses, and can be completed either during or after graduate study.
ENDORSEMENT

An endorsement is added to a Florida teacher’s certificate to denote a particular expertise in an instructional level or methodology. Endorsements are 12 to 15 credits and require a bachelor’s or higher degree with certification in specific academic areas. The School of Education offers endorsements in ESOL, Prekindergarten Disabilities, and Reading.
OPTION-GRAD

The Professional Training Option (PTO) is a Florida Department of Education approved pathway for non-education majors to complete the professional Education component, one of the requirements to become a certified teacher in the State of Florida.The Post Baccalaureate PTO consist of 18 credits and has been designed for those persons who hold a baccalaureate or higher degree in fields other than education and wish to enter the teaching profession.Upon completion of the program participants will receive a Certificate of Completion. UM transcripts will indicate that the student has completed a Florida State approved PTO program. Program completers will be eligible for a Temporary Teaching Certificate.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Education is the learning of knowledge, information and skills during the course of life. Teachers may draw on many subjects, including reading, writing, math, science and history. Teachers in specialized professions such as astrophysics, law, or zoology may teach only a certain subject, usually as professors at institutions of higher learning. There is much specialist instruction in fields for those who want specific skills, such as required to be a pilot, for example. Finally, there is an array of educational opportunity at the informal level- such as with museums, libraries and the Internet. Informal education also includes knowledge and skills learned during the course of life, including education that comes from experience.