Performance of 100 schools being assessed for quality in first phase

Times of Oman

26-05-2025

Muscat: The Education and Research Committee of the Shura Council hosted this on Monday Dr. Jokha Abdullah Al-Shukaili, CEO of the Oman Authority for Academic Accreditation and Quality Assurance of Education, along with a number of specialists from the Authority.
The meeting focused on reviewing assessment policies in public schools.
At the start of the meeting, Jamal Ahmed Al-Abri, Chairman of the Education and Research Committee, emphasised the need for joint efforts to enhance the quality of school education, develop students' skills, and address the challenges facing the school education sector.
He stressed the importance of reviewing assessment policies in public schools and highlighted the anticipated role of the Authority in this area.
For her part, Dr. Jokha Al-Shukaili explained that, pursuant to Royal Decree No. 9/2021, the Authority's mandate has been expanded to include quality assurance in school education.
The Authority is now tasked with developing a national system for ensuring the quality of both school and higher education in the Sultanate of Oman in alignment with international standards.
She added that the Authority is currently preparing to evaluate the performance of 100 schools in the first phase, with plans to expand the number in the future.
The results of these evaluations will be published, and key challenges will be addressed in coordination with the Ministry of Education.
Following this, Dr. Thuraya Saif Al-Hosni, Director General of the School Education Quality Assurance Centre, delivered a visual presentation on enhancing school education in light of global transformations.
The presentation focused on the role of the school performance assessment system in Oman, outlining the system's main pillars, objectives, and evaluation criteria.
It also highlighted key findings from international studies on the state of school education in Oman, including results from global assessments such as TIMSS and PIRLS, as well as indicators related to students' academic levels and skill sets.
The meeting included in-depth discussions on the standards adopted in the national school performance assessment system in Oman and ways to enhance institutional efficiency and build internal quality assurance systems.
The committee also reviewed how well current school performance and outcomes align with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040, particularly regarding priorities in education, learning, scientific research, and national capacity building.
Members discussed notable observations from the pilot and review phase, the key skill gaps among students, and future plans to improve school assessment documents, tools, academic achievement, and overall education quality.
The meeting also addressed updates on the follow-up to the expressed desire regarding the mechanism for providing food services at Sultan Qaboos University, in addition to reviewing a number of letters and communications received by the committee from the Council's Bureau.
This meeting was held as part of the committee's 11th regular session of the second annual convening (2024–2025), chaired by His Excellency Jamal Ahmed Al-Abri, and attended by Their Excellencies, the committee members.