Over 2,700 expat teachers to be replaced by Omanis

Muscat: More than 2,700 expatriate teachers currently employed by schools in Oman will be replaced by Omani nationals for the upcoming school year, the Ministry of Education has said.

The 2,733 expatriates will be replaced by Omanis who have cleared the relevant teaching exams during the current year, as well as previous candidates who are currently on the waiting list for vacant teaching roles, having completed their exams during the previous years.

“The names of new teachers at the ministry will be announced ahead of July 2021, following completion of the relevant administrative processes related to their hiring,” said an official at the Ministry of Education.

“The number of teacher appointments made will continue to increase, up to the beginning of the new academic year, as there are replacements that need to be made in many specialised areas of teaching.”

The Ministry of Education’s efforts to fill expatriate teaching positions with Omanis comes as part of a broader effort to Omanise more roles, with the Ministry of Labour holding on Friday a joint meeting with the Directors-General of Human Resources at various government organisations to devise ways to employ more citizens across various sectors of the labour market.

The meeting aimed to set a schedule in terms of targets and deadlines for the replacement of expatriates with local manpower, as well as enabling the hiring of workers on temporary contracts, in keeping with the needs of organisations.

Held in keeping with the Royal Directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik for speeding up the hiring of locals, the meeting also stressed the importance of government units complying with the need to accelerate hiring procedures, according to a set timetable.

“Pursuant to the Royal Directives of His Majesty the Sultan, the financial grades will be made available per the approved appointment plan,” said the Ministry of Labour.

“The ministry will continue to follow up with the appointment processes across various sectors, and steps for the implementation of the Royal Directives concerning employment of national manpower will also be announced.”