The Sultan's School, Oman's leading bilingual school and The International Baccalaureate Organization agree groundbreaking new proposals for secondary examinations

Muscat, January 3, 2005: John Birchall, Principal of The Sultan's School, announced today that The Sultan's School is to become the first school in the Sultanate to be able to offer The International Baccalaureate Diploma to Omani secondary students. This initiative is in line with the Ministry of Education's policy of seeking to align Omani Education with international best practice.

His Excellency Yahya Bin Saud Al-Sulaimi, Minister of Education met with John Birchall and Ake Sorman, Regional Manager of The International Diploma Programme in early December and listened intently to ambitious plans to open up opportunities for Omanis, for the first time, to be examined internationally at secondary school level in 2007.
The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), founded in 1968, is a recognized leader in the field of international education. The IBO's Diploma Programme (DP) was created in 1968. It is a demanding pre-university course of study that is designed for highly motivated secondary school students aged 16 to 19. The programme is a comprehensive two-year international curriculum; it also allows students to fulfill the requirements of their national or state education systems. The DP incorporates the best elements of national systems, without being based on any one.

Mr. Sorman stated his organization's belief that students should share an academic experience that would emphasize critical thinking, intercultural understanding and exposure to a variety of points of view.
Mr. Birchall stated that The IB Programme would enable students, at The Sultan's School, to gain one of the world's top pre-university qualifications, allowing them to compete for places in prestigious universities in over 100 countries, without losing sight of religious and cultural principles. It would also alleviate the need for "Foundation Years" abroad, for successful Diploma graduates, thus saving both time and money.

Since news broke of this ground breaking, new educational initiative, the school has had many enquiries, not only from Omani parents but also expatriate ones, who are looking for schools, that can deliver first-rate results but in an environment that fosters traditional values.

The school is planning to expand its scholarship scheme and boarding facilities to cope with the expected demand for places.