News & Event

The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Education, joins the global community in observing International Literacy Day, marked annually on September 8, under the theme "Literacy for People, Planet, and Prosperity." In doing so, The Sultanate of Oman reaffirms its commitment to curbing illiteracy, enhancing opportunities for lifelong learning, and equipping community members with the knowledge and skills that enable them to actively participate in the journey of sustainable development.

International Literacy Day serves as a global occasion to highlight the importance of literacy as a fundamental human right and a key tool for empowerment and development. It is also an opportunity to assess progress made, address existing and emerging challenges, and envision future directions for literacy amidst the rapid transformations the world is witnessing.

Since the beginning of the Blessed Renaissance, the Sultanate of Oman has accorded continuous attention to education, driven by the belief that it is a fundamental right for every individual, a foundation for human development and the enhancement of capabilities, and a cornerstone for achieving comprehensive and sustainable development.

National efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Education over the past decades have contributed to tangible progress in literacy and adult education. This has been achieved by expanding literacy centers across the Sultanate of Oman’s governorates and providing educational opportunities to individuals who missed out on schooling earlier in life, alongside developing educational programs that align with the needs of learners and the requirements of society.

National indicators reflect the extent of this progress; the illiteracy rate in the Sultanate of Oman stood at 0.5% according to 2025 data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information. This figure underscores the continuous improvement in educational standards, as well as the sustained national efforts and investments directed toward the education sector over the past decades.

Amid the rapid transformations the world is witnessing, the concept of literacy is no longer limited to equipping individuals with reading, writing, and arithmetic skills; rather, it has expanded to encompass digital, life, and economic skills, competencies that have become essential for daily life and active participation in society.

In this context, the Ministry of Education is piloting a digital literacy project for third-grade students, a move that aligns with digital transformation requirements and aims to equip learners in literacy programs with the essential digital skills needed to navigate the technologies and electronic services available in their daily lives.

The project comes amidst the expansion of the digitization of government and educational services; and the resulting growing need for essential digital skills, at a time when some participants in literacy programs face a digital divide that limits their ability to utilize these services and navigate the demands of life in a digital environment.

The third level of the literacy track represents a suitable stage for initiating the development of basic digital skills. This is achieved through practical learning linked to the learner's life and daily needs, including the use of smart devices and engagement with applications and electronic services, while fostering the ability to access and utilize information safely and effectively.

The project is not limited to imparting technical skills; rather, it aims to foster the learner's independence and self-confidence, and to enable them to navigate the digital environment more effectively. This supports their integration into society and enhances their ability to benefit from the opportunities and services made available by digital transformation.

The project addresses a number of challenges facing literacy education centers, most notably the limited integration of technology into the educational process, the disparity in digital skill levels among learners, and the need for digital learning environments that cater to the specific characteristics and needs of adult learners.

The project is scheduled to be implemented on a pilot basis in the North Al Batinah Governorate during the 2026/2027 academic year, with the aim of testing the effectiveness of integrating technology into literacy programs, identifying potential implementation challenges, and measuring the project's impact on developing learners' digital skills.

The results of the pilot implementation will contribute to evaluating and refining the initiative, and its outcomes will be leveraged to improve educational practices, thereby paving the way for the project's potential expansion in the future.

The digital literacy project aligns with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040, particularly in areas related to human capacity development, the promotion of lifelong learning, support for digital transformation in education, the achievement of educational equity, and the narrowing of the digital divide across segments of society.

The Ministry of Education continues to develop literacy and adult education programs that align with the demands of the modern era and the needs of the labor market, while contributing to building learners' capabilities and expanding their opportunities to participate in economic and social development.

The theme of International Literacy Day 2026, "Literacy for People, Planet, and Prosperity", aligns with modern approaches that view literacy as an integrated pathway to human empowerment, rather than merely the acquisition of basic reading and writing skills.

Possessing digital, life, and economic skills enhances individuals' ability to make decisions, access services, improve employment prospects and productivity, and participate in public life, in addition to fostering awareness of environmental issues and sustainability principles.

Through its participation in this international event, the Sultanate of Oman reaffirms its ongoing commitment to developing its literacy and adult education system, advancing it toward broader horizons that meet modern-day requirements, thereby ensuring learning opportunities for all and fostering the concept of lifelong learning.

The Ministry of Education reaffirms its commitment to continuing efforts to curb illiteracy in all its forms, both traditional and digital, and to empowering learners with the knowledge and skills that enhance their independence and societal participation, thereby contributing to the building of a knowledge-based society and the achievement of sustainable development, in alignment with the goals of Oman Vision 2040.

Literacy today is not merely about learning to read and write; rather, it is the empowerment of the individual with the knowledge and skills that enable them to understand their reality, keep pace with its changes, and actively participate in shaping their future.