Oman's Ministry of Education Showcases Child-Centered Methodology Project

Almost 200 educators from throughout Oman gathered earlier this week for a "Child-Centered Methodology (CCM) Open Day," which aimed to "highlight CCM’s contribution to Oman’s basic education reform." Demonstrating the importance of student-centered learning and the ways in which the MEPI-funded project builds students’ language skills, independence and self-esteem, the program featured a variety of sessions led by second-grade students. During the demonstration of the "morning meeting," one confident 7-year old girl led her 25 classmates in a mock shopping exercise that integrated math skills, knowledge of nutrition and health, and free choice; another girl then read a story and involved the group in a lively question-and-answer session. A half-hour break provided attendees with an opportunity to interact with the students and to learn about specific components of the CCM approach. At one table, for example, a group of girls (photo) talked about the classroom libraries that have been established and how students have created educational games to expand on concepts in the books they are reading. A group of boys at another table explained their classroom’s new system for assigning tasks and responsibilities each day. With the audience comprised of teachers, principals and administrators – including those who are currently participating in the project, as well as those who were learning about it in detail for the first time – the animated discussion session at the end of the program elicited questions ranging from "How can we become involved in this project?" to "How can we re-work our school schedules to incorporate more of the project’s benefits?"

The well-attended event, organized by the Ministry of Education in coordination with Creative Associates International, Inc. (a U.S. professional services firm that is providing technical assistance for the project) highlighted the benefits of child-centered classrooms in Oman. Participation by teacher trainees (students from Sultan Qaboos University’s College of Education) increased the potential for the methodology to be incorporated into the curriculum for Oman’s future teachers. And the smiles on the faces of the participating children served as proof that they are savoring this new approach to learning and to interacting with their teachers and their classmates.