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Dr. Atoum Al Khatri: providing attractive environment enhances entrepreneurial skills

Weam Al-Kalbani: vocational and technical education is the world of renewal and innovation

Hamad Al Busaidi: it provides specialized cognitive educational paths

Quds Al-Rajhi: it instills concept of entrepreneurship and related skills

Ahmed Al-Battashi: it offers students modern major choices

Osama Al-Zaidi: it allows learning in innovative ways between theory and practical application

Omnia Al-Barwani: it increases students' ability to absorb future changes

The Ministry of Education is applying vocational and technical education next year in the fields of business administration and information technology in two schools in Muscat Governorate, namely: Nusseibeh Bint Kaab for Basic Education, and Hafs bin Rashid for Basic Education, and in two schools in North Al Batinah Governorate, namely: Halima Al Saadia School in the Wilayat of Suwaiq, and Kaab Bin Barsha School in the Wilayat of Saham, as a trial version. In a press survey, a number of students in schools where the two majors will be applied stress on the importance of vocational and technical education in schools and the skills that students acquire from this education. They also emphasize the importance of having information technology and business administration majors in their schools.

Dr. Atoum Al-Khatri, Assistant Director of the School Education Development and Structure Project Management Office, said: “The application of vocational and technical education in the post-basic education stage (11 and 12) comes within the Ministry's plan to develop school education in line with local and international trends, the requirements of higher education institutions, and the needs of the labor market. It also comes in line with achieving the goals and aspirations of

Oman Vision 2040 to prepare generations that possess skills and capabilities in various scientific and professional fields. In this regard, the Ministry aims to provide students with knowledge and professional skills, develop positive attitudes and professional values, provide an attractive environment that enhances entrepreneurship skills. It also aims to prepare capable graduates to compete in the labor market or join higher education institutions inside and outside the Sultanate, strengthen partnership with economic sectors, promote society’s culture towards the importance of vocational and technical education. The ministry aims this year to accept 200 students in the majors of business administration and information technology, with 50 students in each of the four schools. The BTEC program is offered by Pearson International and presented in English in specialized subjects according to the plan, so that the student completes 720 hours in the program for a period of two academic years.”

Weam Bint Hakim Al Kalbani, student at Halima Al Saadia School in North Al Batinah Governorate, said: “Education will witness a turning point from stagnation to renewal and innovation, as it develops students’ skills, and prepares a creative and innovative generation. This education will add a lot as it draws clear paths for the future and reduces the distractions for students in choosing a university major. This education helps students acquire several skills such as speaking English fluently, learning programming, web design, and robotics.” She emphasized that majoring in Information technology is of great importance and value, as it takes students out of the stagnation of the book to application and to the world of creativity and innovation and creating a technological generation.

Hamad bin Saud Al Busaidi, student at Hafs bin Rashid School in Muscat Governorate, shared the same point of view, saying: “Vocational and technical education is modern education, and it has a brilliant future, provided that the student has the desire to study it, as such educational paths provide specialized knowledge programs and scientific skills needed in the students’ future path such as time management, teamwork, and problem-solving. This kind of education also promotes trends that will help students in their career path.”

For her part, Quds bint Ali Al-Rajhi, student at Halima Al-Saadia School in the North Al-Batinah Governorate, said about her vision of vocational and technical education: “This education opens wider fields for students, and will help them discover their talents and potentials, and thus fulfill their desires. In addition, this education provides students with many skills, especially strengthening their skill of speaking in the English language, and their reliance on the practical side, and this in turn leads to the development of thought, instilling the concept of financial development, and highlighting their leadership role. The importance of having an

entrepreneurship major lie in instilling the concept of entrepreneurship among students, and developing many skills such as marketing, buying, and selling, managing, and preserving money.

Student Ahmed bin Suleiman Al-Battashi from Hafs bin Rashid School in Muscat governorate stressed on that vocational and technical education tracks provide the opportunity for students to choose modern specializations, and thus help them develop their skills and knowledge necessary for the future. He added that this type of education provides students with many skills, including time management, financial management, teamwork, communication, and leadership.

Osama bin Ahmed Al-Zaidi, students at Kaab bin Barsha School in North Al-Batinah Governorate, said: “Vocational and technical education is a new experience to change the academic path in scientific or literary subjects, and allows learning in innovative ways between theory and practical application. This education opens new horizons for new specializations and enables the student to acquire a number of skills such as speaking English fluently, and acquire a number of mechanical, engineering, technology, and opinion-making skills in the field of entrepreneurship.”

Student Omnia bint Badr Al-Barwani at Nusseibeh Bint Kaab School in Muscat Governorate said: “It is a good opportunity to provide educational options that give students vocational and technical skills and advance them to higher educational levels. This education will increase students’ ability to absorb future changes through skills of programming, designing applications, and making robots.”