Demand for higher education rises in Oman

Muscat: Most Omani pupils face a dilemma when it comes to pursuing higher education, since the demand for local-based education is far higher than the number of seats available every year.

About 2,500 out of the 50,000 pupils who complete high school every year have a chance to be admitted to the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU). The rest have the option of enrolling in a private university in the country or going abroad for higher studies, although not everyone can afford that.

"The fees at private universities are not affordable for everyone," said a student, who preferred not to be named, adding that it leaves only one option for them and that is to look for a job. Dr Rawiyah Bint Saud Al Busaidiyah, the Minister of Higher Education, has hailed the role of the private sector in improving the situation over the last five years.

She believes that the private sector has played a significant role in increasing awareness of the need to pursue higher education among pupils in the country.

Address

During her address to the Majlis Al Shura members, the minister also said that the number of students as well as higher education institutions in the country has increased considerably.

"From 20.78 per cent of the total students pursuing higher education after passing school exams in 2001-02, the percentage has now gone up to 31.2 per cent after the results of the last secondary school examinations in 2005-06," she told the elected members of the advisory council.

Al Busaidiyah explained the ministry's performance under the Sixth Five-Year Plan 2001-2005, particularly relating to higher education institutions, admissions policy, research, and improving the quality of education during her appearance at the meeting, reported Oman News Agency.

She said that higher education in the private sector had experienced a noticeable development.

"The number of students, academic programmes and institutions in the private sector has increased," she said, noting that the private sector had also played a role in spreading higher education to the different regions of the country through investments.

Speaking of the increase in the number of students in the private sector she said, "It has now reached 16,842."