Oman Marks International Literacy Day tomorrow

Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman will join UNESCO  and world countries to mark the International Literacy Day tomorrow, Sunday, which falls on September 8 every year.

This year, the day is held under the slogan “Promoting Multilingual Education: Literacy for Mutual Understanding and Peace” to highlight the importance of multilingual education in enhancing communication and dialogue between different cultures, and building more peaceful and tolerant societies.

The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Education, seeks to highlight the projects and supportive programs it is making in order to eradicate illiteracy and clarify the illiteracy and reading rates that have been reached during previous periods. The Sultanate of Oman has worked hard since the academic year (1973/1974 AD) to combat illiteracy and eliminate it in all its forms: reading, writing, cultural, and civilizational.

The Ministry, represented by the General Directorate of Special Education and Continuing Education, is concerned with building educational programs for some segments of society that do not fall under the umbrella of regular education; due to the difference in their educational circumstances, such as: adult learners in literacy classes, adult education, and learners in care homes, correctional institutions (prisons), and people with disabilities (special education).

The Sultanate of Oman has stressed that illiteracy is a complex social and cultural problem that will not be eliminated except through the combined efforts of all governmental, private and civil sectors. The Ministry of Education has extended bridges of cooperation with all relevant parties, whether internal or external parties, believing in the importance of accelerating the elimination of illiteracy among all its citizens, seeking to develop and modernize the field of adult education by completing studies for those who wish to continue their education to the upper grades to achieve their ambitions.

The Ministry also provided a set of facilities for students in literacy classes, including: providing curricula (first, second and third) specifically for students in literacy classes, preparing and qualifying those in charge of teaching from Omani graduates of the General Education Diploma or higher to teach in literacy classes, granting a certificate of freedom from illiteracy to students; qualifying them to join the study system in adult education, opening classrooms, supervising their progress by specialized supervisors, and registering students electronically in the literacy system via the educational portal.

The Ministry has implemented a number of programmes and projects such as: the Learning Villages Programme, the Cooperative Schools Programme, the Literacy Project for Illiterates Working in the Ministry, the Literacy Project for Illiterate Omanis Working in the Private Sector, the Literacy Project for Residents of the Islands and Marine Villages, and the Literacy Project for Illiterate Omanis (People with Disabilities).