Ministry of Education launches Child Friendly Education model nationwide following successful pilot

Muscat, 28 February 2022 --  The Ministry of Education (MoE)  yesterday announced the nationwide rollout of the Child Friendly Education (CFE)  initiative at a special event in Muscat showcasing the talents of children attending schools included in the CFE pilot programme.

CFE is a model that promotes education quality to enable all children to achieve their full potential. It is based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and has six core principles: child-centredness; participation; inclusiveness;  protection; equity and equality; and resilience and sustainability.

The pilot was conducted in 29 schools in five governorates: Al Batinah South, Muscat, Musandam, Al Dakhiliya and Dhofar. The model will now be introduced in all Government primary and secondary schools covering Grades 1 to 12 across Oman.

“This initiative is a very important step towards improving the quality of education in Oman and supporting all children to thrive,” said Her Highness Sayyida Hujaija Al Said, chairman of the board of directors of the Association for Children with Disabilities.

The CFE principle of inclusiveness asserts that all children have a right to education, regardless of gender, ethnicity, race, disability or wealth, etc.

“The education achievements of the Sultanate of Oman over the past 50 years have been spectacular. The education system has gained close to universal enrolment and is characterized by excellent facilities, good quality services, and sustained high levels of  investment,” said Ministry of Education Undersecretary Abdullah bin Khamis AmBusaidi. “The nationwide roll out of the CFE model is a logical next step as we strive for excellence in education, improve learning outcomes, and prepare our young people to contribute fully to our nation’s continued prosperity and development and achieving Oman’s Vision 2040.”

“UNICEF is proud of the technical expertise we have been able to bring to bear in support of CFE in Oman,” said UNICEF Oman Social Policy Manager Liibaan Dahir. “The nationwide rollout of this model will catalyse progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 to ensure quality education for all. And as the only country in the Gulf region to promote CFE nationwide, Oman is undoubted a leader in this area.”

As part of the initiative, UNICEF experts supported the MoE to develop a manual to guide schools in implementing the CFE principles. UNICEF also supported the MoE to develop structures at all levels of the education system – national, governorate and school levels – to implement and monitor the guidelines, and a training programme to ensure all teachers learned about CFE.

A ministerial decree establishing the Child Friendly Education Committee in cooperation with UNICEF was issued in March 2019, paving the way for the nationwide rollout.

During the event, Shannua bint Salem Al Habsi, assistant director-general of the General Directorate of Special Education and chairperson of the Child Friendly Education Committee, presented the results of the CFE initiative so far.

“The launch of the CFE model nationwide is the culmination of many years of work,” said Ms  Al Habsi. “With the CFE committee I look forward to introducing CFE in all schools in Oman – helping to reach not only SDG4 but Vision 2040 which puts young people at the heart of building a knowledge-based society.”

As was fitting for an occasion relating to CFE, children were at the heart of the launch ceremony. Pupils from pilot schools showcased their acting and musical talents and took part in a roundtable discussion about the Children’s Parliament. Their artwork was also on display.