MUSCAT -- The lead story in today's edition of Youth Observer points out the ever increasing role of IT in the education of all students in Oman. IT Education, it says, can play a key role both in developing awareness and building capacity. It also points to the growing number of Higher Education Institutions, which offer programmes in computer science including Sultan Qaboos University and the Middle East College of Information Technology.
The Ministry of Higher Education has also introduced a new Higher Education Admissions Centre (HEAC), which allows students to apply on-line for admissions. The Oman Accreditation Board has developed a high end, state-of-the-art interactive website. The Ministry of Education is also involved in an Education Portal Initiative, which is linking schools together. Students as well as parents can access the MoE website to take advantage of a number of IT services.
The Oman Tourism College is running a Youth Observer competition, which asks competitors to answer questions about Oman and its tourist attractions. The prize is a quality lunch at the college, and a tour of its fine facilities, plus a meeting with the Dean and executive chefs. Youth Observer's roving reporters have been very busy, interviewing Muhammad al Zubair about his life with the camera -- he started taking passport photos in Ruwi charging five rupees a person.
There is also a report on a visit to Bait al Baranda, Muscat's new interactive museum telling of the story of the Muscat area from millions of years ago up to the present day. An interesting letter from Saleh Saud al Tamami discusses the history of his own Al Tamami family. The Youth Observer is made possible by the generosity of Shell, Nawras, the International Maritime College and the Oman Tourism College.
By Maurice Gent
© Oman Daily Observer 2007
