Saturday 23 / November / 2024
Muscat: After following up on what was circulated on social media, the Sultanate of Oman's Ministry of Education (MoE) said that the penalty of imprisonment is not among the penalties that affect students in the School Education Law. The law has been interpreted incorrectly, affirmed the Ministry.
The Ministry of Education followed up on what was circulated after the issuance of the School Education Law by Royal Decree No. 31/2023 about the incorrect interpretation of some articles of the law by a number of followers and writers on social media regarding penalties affecting students. Accordingly, the Ministry would like to clarify that the school education law was the subject of study and agreement between all the competent authorities, including the articles related to penalties contained in Chapter Ten of the law.
The School Education Law also defines the rights of students and the actions prohibited for them in Articles (47) and (48), authorising the executive regulations of the law to specify administrative procedures for violators in accordance with what is stipulated in Article (49), taking into account that Article (17) has been assigned to the regulations. The implementation of the law determines the study system in schools in its various stages and paths, in terms of the duration of each stage, the study plan, student affairs, evaluation systems, administrative and financial aspects, and other matters related to the study system.
In the interest of the Ministry to provide students with a proper upbringing, inculcate virtuous values and morals in them, and provide them with a safe environment, it has taken into account that the penalties contained in the School Education Law are fully compatible with the Child Law promulgated by Royal Decree No. 22/2014 and in accordance with what was stipulated in the Juvenile Accountability Law promulgated by Royal Decree No. 30/2008, which specified the measures that may be imposed on the juvenile, which are the care measures mentioned in Article (10) of the Juvenile Accountability Law, or the reform measures stipulated in Article (20) of the same law, and none of these measures include imprisonment.
The Ministry hopes to investigate the accuracy of the information that is published and to take it from its official and reliable sources.
A rumour circulated on social media stating that imprisonment for a period of up to one month and a fine of up to OMR 500, or one of these two penalties will be given to any student who is caught for cheating/malpractice in a school examination.
