Number of school students in Oman growing steadily

Muscat: More than 700,000 students are enrolled in public, private, and international schools in the Sultanate, according to a report published by the Ministry of Education (MoE).
When Oman’s first school, Al Saaidiya, was established in 1951, there were only a few students enrolled, but 67 years later there are more children in schools than ever before – there are 748,464 students currently enrolled in schools in Oman, according to the annual report of the MoE.
The number of public schools in the Sultanate increased from 2016 to 2017. Currently, there are 1,125 public schools catering to a total of 579,024 students, the report said.
Private schools in Oman also saw a 10 per cent increase in the number, with 636 schools catering to 105,680 students. Meanwhile, 63,760 students are currently enrolled in the Sultanate’s 44 international schools, data showed.
The data also revealed that female students accounted for 60.8 per cent of the total number of students last year. In a move aimed at coping with the growing number of students enrolling in schools, the ministry has recorded an increase in the number of teachers in private and public schools to 65,990.
The current teacher-student ratio in public schools is 1 teacher for every 10.2 students, while the ratio in private schools stands at 1 teacher for every 11 students.
More parents have been registering their children in pre-schools around the Sultanate, with 49,640 children currently registered in pre-school, representing an increase of 23 per cent compared to 2016.