The New Private Education Regulations In Oman

Ministerial Decision No. 287/2017 of the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) issuing the By-Laws Regulating Private Schools in Oman (the Decision) came into force on 19 September 2017. The Decision applies to any private schools established in Oman (Schools) and repeals the Ministry's previous by-laws (Ministerial Decision No26/2006) (the Repealed Decision). Schools that have been established under the Repealed Decision have a grace period of one year from the date on which this Decision came into force to bring practices in line with the Decision. The Decision includes a number of very interesting developments around a classification system for Schools, parent/school contracts, the use of advertising and social media, special needs education and student welfare.

Key Points

School rankings

The Decision provides that the Ministry may put in place a classification system and publish results of Schools on its website and in various media. This is an indication of a move towards a more transparent education market as is sometime seen elsewhere in the Middle East.

Advertising

There are restrictions on a School in relation to announcements or publications without the approval of the Ministry. Also in relation to advertising, there is a prohibition on an announcements or advertising of an opening of a School opening, registering students or carrying out any education activities prior to the issuing of a school license.

Parent/School contracts

Article 35 of the Decision specifically provides that a contract shall be entered into between the School and the student's parents (or presumably guardians). A form of prescribed contract may be made available in the near future. This follows the trend elsewhere in the region.

Licensing application process

The private school license application process is set out in a more transparent and detailed manner in chapter two of the Decision. These include a comprehensive outline of the steps involved in the licensing procedure, which include the application for an initial approval, followed by an application for a final approval, with all of the conditions required to be satisfied by applicants expressed within this chapter.

The Repealed Decision set out the conditions for Omani individual investors applying for private school licenses. The Decision now goes further, providing requirements for Omani individual and institutional investors, as well as foreign individual investors. At this stage it is not fully...