Financing for equity in pre-primary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
In Oman, the official entry age for pre-primary education is 4 years old. While data on the number of years of free and compulsory pre-primary education are not available, the net enrolment rate for pre-primary educationstood at 36.01% as of 2022.
Governance
Responsibility for financing pre-primary education rests only marginally with the Ministry of Education and is not governed by a dedicated or universal public financing framework. While the Ministry of Education is legally responsible for supervising both public and private preschool education and oversees licensing, curricula, standards, and quality assurance, it does not systematically allocate public funding to the pre-primary sector. Preschool education in Oman is predominantly market-based, with most kindergartens financed through household fees set freely by private providers. Public financing by the Ministry of Education is limited to a small, targeted program initiated in 2005, under which a restricted number of KG2 “preparatory classes” are funded within selected public primary schools in remote areas where private provision is unavailable. Beyond this limited intervention, no other ministry or government agency is responsible for allocating or overseeing dedicated education budgets for pre-primary education, and there is no entitlement-based or nationwide public financing mechanism for the sector.
Tuition-free status
Public pre-primary education is not tuition-free according to national laws and policies.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
There is no established universal public funding mechanism for pre-primary education to subnational levels. While the Ministry of Education promotes decentralisation in administration and is expanding decentralisation in financial operations by equipping Regional Directorates of Education with the necessary systems and software and conferring greater financial powers on them, available evidence does not indicate the existence of clearly defined criteria or formula-based mechanisms governing the allocation of funds for pre-primary education. Regional Directorates are primarily responsible for implementing national education plans, and although financial responsibilities appear to be gradually devolved, pre-primary education is not included within a transparent or earmarked framework for central-to-local fiscal transfers. As a result, decentralization in the pre-primary sector remains largely administrative, with limited clarity regarding the scope, standards, and equity considerations underpinning any financial authority delegated to subnational levels.
2. Education resources to institutions
Government subsidies to public pre-primary institutions in Oman are limited and highly targeted rather than universal, but they do include an equity-oriented intervention focused on rural and remote areas.
Since the 2004/2005 academic year, the Ministry of Education has implemented a preparation classes project within Cycle 1 (Grade 1 to 4) public basic education schools to provide free pre-primary education for children aged 4-5 in areas where private kindergartens are unavailable. According to a 2019 joint Ministry of Education-UNESCO report on inclusive education, the Ministry supports this initiative by providing or adapting classrooms in participating rural schools and allocating financial rewards (stipends) to qualified volunteer teachers delivering the programme. By the 2018/19 academic year, the programme operated in 89 schools with 102 classes serving 2,356 children.
3. Education resources to students and families
No evidence was found of any financial support mechanisms by the ministry of education for pre-primary education.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
The Child Benefit Initiative was established to guarantee a minimum level of monetary social protection at early stages of life where support is most needed, including early education, care, health, and nutrition, to promote family stability and future human capital formation. Established by Royal Decree No. 33/2021 and managed by the Social Protection Fund in coordination with the Ministry of Social Development, it provides Omani children aged 0-18, who hold citizenship, reside in Oman, and have a registered civil ID and bank account, with a monthly cash benefit of 10 Omani Riyals (USD 25), while children with disabilities may receive the disability benefit independently of age.
