ABSTRACT
It was only in the last 15 years that Oman experienced the need, more than ever before, to focus on quality of its education provision as a way of achieving global competitiveness and international legitimacy. The paradigm shift from traditional schooling to more modern ways of conceptualizing schools, students, and learning began occurring in the 1990s when Omani leaders, economists, educators, researchers, and other thinkers drafted Vision 2020. Vision 2020 is the sultanate’s strategic development plan focusing on diversification, industrialization, and privatization while creating more employment opportunities for the rising number of young Omanis as they enter the workforce. This vision recognized the importance of investing in the human capital and giving priority to quality education as a way of ensuring the sustainability of the Omani economy (Ministry of National Economy, 1995). The newly developed Vision 2040 further reinforces the importance of preparing our students with skill sets needed for survival in the fast moving and highly demanding world.
