High Cost of Education in Oman Contributes to Inflation

Statistics released earlier this month by Oman’s National Center for Statistics and Information show that the high cost of education is contributing to inflation. The cost of providing education rose from 3.4 per cent of gdp in 2011 to 16.3 per cent in 2013. Over the same period, education’s contribution inflation rose from 3 per cent to 45.4 per cent in the first half of 2013, according to Oman’s central bank.

According to Tonny George Alexander, chairman of the board of directors of Indian Schools, a network of 19 schools and 41,000 students in Oman, said that “Staff salaries comprise a major part of our school expenses…. Keeping the three per cent annual inflation in mind, there is no option but to increase fees to meet these expenses. Our schools don’t make any profit.” The number of teachers in government schools Oman has increased from 45,000 in 2010 to 53,000 in 2012. “

Increased spending on the educational sector has been in a trend in Oman. “A number of decisions have been implemented since 2011, like the RO325 minimum salary rule [an increase in teacher wages],” said Danny Harrison, principal of Azzan bin Qais International School in Bausher. Unfortunately, “The cost of living has gone up too. In the long run, all these expenses have to be borne by students,” he added.

Increased spending on education and minimum teacher salaries may have improved Oman’s educational quality though. Despite these rising costs, Omani schools have recently been praised by the British Council for their international programs and achievement.

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Written by Alex Leedom