Tuesday 12 / May / 2026
Muscat: The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), launched on Tuesday an evaluation study of the Child-Friendly Education Initiative. This step reflects the national commitment to promoting inclusive and quality education for every child in the Sultanate of Oman.
This evaluation was prepared in 2025 under the supervision of a technical steering committee comprising the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Health, and Oman Vision 2040 Implementation Follow-up Unit. It assessed the alignment and effectiveness of the child-friendly education approach across various components of the Sultanate’s education system.
The Child-Friendly Education Initiative was jointly developed by the Ministry of Education and UNICEF to make the learning environment attractive and child-friendly, and to strengthen a system that places the child at the centre of the educational process, emphasizing the principles of inclusiveness and participation.
This initiative directly contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 2030, particularly Goal 4, which ensures inclusive and equitable quality education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Since its pilot phase in nine schools across three governorates in 2012, the initiative has witnessed continuous growth, leading to its nationwide rollout across all educational governorates in 2022.
The evaluation was conducted using a participatory and inclusive approach, involving field consultations and visits to several educational governorates in the Sultanate of Oman. Children, including those with disabilities, alongside parents, school principals, and teachers, actively participated. This enriched the evaluation process with diverse perspectives and enhanced the alignment of findings with the real-life experiences of school communities across various governorates of the Sultanate.
Shanoona Salim Al Habsi, representative of the Sultanate of Oman on the UNICEF Executive Board at the United Nations in New York and Assistant Director-General for Special Education at the Ministry of Education, delivered a speech affirming the close strategic partnership between the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and UNICEF. This partnership has resulted in the implementation of several vital initiatives focused on child and adolescent development, including children with disabilities.
The workshop featured a review of children's and youth’s experiences and aspirations regarding the second edition of the Child-Friendly Education Guide, alongside a presentation of the key findings of the initiative’s evaluation. This highlighted the importance of engaging children and the school community in developing more inclusive learning environments responsive to their needs.
A workshop was held with the participation of specialists from child development authorities and members of the Arab Parliament for the Child in the Sultanate of Oman. The goal was to prepare a five-year action plan to translate the report’s findings and recommendations into practical, sustainable programmes and initiatives.
The workshop included multi-sectoral discussions and working sessions aimed at establishing the general framework of an action plan, including integrating key performance indicators and clearly defining priorities, responsibilities, and coordination mechanisms.
The workshop’s outcomes will contribute to developing the second edition of the Child-Friendly Education Initiative, aligned with the provisions of the School Education Law issued in 2023, consistent with the national priorities of Oman Vision 2040 and the Eleventh Five-Year Development Plan (2026–2030), and in accordance with recent developments in the Sultanate of Oman’s education system.
This launch represents a pivotal milestone in the Sultanate of Oman’s efforts to entrench child-friendly education standards, enhance cross-sectoral coordination, and ensure that national education policies remain evidence-based, child-centred, and future-ready.
