Since 2012, the consultant has worked in the Oman Ministry of Education's mathematics curriculum department to address deficiencies in mathematics and science education identified in a World Bank report. Some of the consultant's responsibilities have included revising curriculum documents, textbooks, and standards for all grade levels; developing teaching materials; providing training; and assisting with initiatives like introducing STEM education, entrepreneurship lessons, and online mathematics programs. The consultant visits schools around Oman to gather feedback and works with a team of five other mathematics curriculum officers on these various curriculum improvement efforts.

1. PositionTitle:MathematicsCurriculumConsultant,MOE,Oman
Since Sept2012 I have beenworkingasanexpertconsultantinthe Departmentof Curriculum
Studiesinthe Ministryof Education,Oman.My appointmentwasmade afteraWorld Bankreport
indicatedthatthere were deficienciesandinadequaciesinMathematicsandScience education,
baseduponpoor scoresinTIMSS. My appointmentwasmade at the requestof the Ministerof
Education.
AlthoughIam basedinthe mathematicscurriculumdepartment andImostlyadvise onmattersof
mathematics,includingnumeracy,the deputydirectorof curriculumhasbeenusingmyknowledge
and skillsinotherareas.Omanisnowembarkingonan ambitiousplantointroduce STEMeducation,
innovationandentrepreneurshiplessonsinall schools,andIhave beeninvolvedinsettingupthis
projectfromscratch. I have alsobeeninvolvedincontributingtoa national frameworkof subject
standardsfor all grades1 -12, – notonlyinmathematicsbutadvisingonthe studentskillsthatneed
to be developedthroughappropriate teachinginothersubjects.
My brief istodraw attentiontodeficienciesandinadequaciesandsuggestimprovement.The lackof
usage of Englishasa language of instructioninsome subjectsseriously hampersstudents’learningin
latergrades.The Arabic textsare in-house constructedandmaynotbe as rich and expressiveas
international texts.Thiswasalsoindicatedinthe WorldBankreport.The developmentof Numeracy
skill isalsopartlyhampered because of usingArabicnumeralsandlackof teacherskills.Ihave been
encouragingthe MOE to provide enrichment resources totheircurriculum, especiallynumeracy.I
see myrole as beingto introduce anddevelop new skillsforteachersto apply intheirclassrooms.To
enrichnumeracyIhave suggestedusingon-line mathematical programmesthatactivelyencourage
and stimulate studentstopractice andmasternumerical skills.
I visitschoolsaroundthe countryand discussthingswith teachers.Iandmycolleaguesuse their
feedbackonthe mathematicscurriculumtomodifycontent.SoIspendagreat deal of my time
tryingto modifythe Omanmathematicscurriculumintorealisticteachingmoduleswithoutcomes
that can be managedand measured,everythinghas tobe done withinthe existingcurriculum.
I workwitha team of 5 othermathematicscurriculumofficers.Mymaindutyisto advise andassist
staff inthe mathematicsdepartmentof the CurriculumDirectorate andworkwiththe deputy
directorof curriculumon anyothermatters.In particularI do the following:
 Revise anddevelopscope andsequence documents,curriculumdocumentsandcurriculum
frameworksformathematicsforall grade levels(1-12)
 Revise andamendexistingstudenttextbooksandteachers’ booksinlightof evidence from
the field,national andinternational testsandinternationalbestpractice.
 Developteachingandlearningmaterialstosupportdifferentiatedteaching
 Developteachingandlearningmaterial tosupportactive learning
 Developnewelective coursesfor PostBasiceducation(grades11& 12)
 Provide advice,supportandtrainingtocurriculumofficers
 Plan,developandimplementtrainingprogrammesforministrystaff,teachersand
supervisors
 Participate indevelopingreformproposalsondifferentaspectsof the educationsystemas
and whenrequestedbythe Ministry,eg.Settingupregional Science CentresandSTEM
centres
 Participate incommitteesformedbythe Ministrytosupportanddevelopteachingand
learninginmathematics
 Undertake anyotherwork requestedbythe ministry

2. Since Sept 2012, I have been involved in the following:
1. HelpingOmani mathstaff withaspectsof theirwork,providingmatheducationinformationand
assistance.
2. Showingmathstaff howto use e-learningtoolssuchasMathleticsandGeogebraprogramme
4. In 2012-13 visitstoseveral schoolsindifferentgovernoratesthroughoutOmanwere made and
reportson these visitswere submittedtothe directorof AppliedScience.
3. In 2013 the Mathleticsprogramme wasusedby Omani schoolsinall governoratestotake partin
the World Maths Competition.Omani studentswhotookpartwere awardedcertificates.
4. In 2013 a proposal wasdraftedtopilotthe use of Mathletics(Arabicversion) inschools.This
proposal remainsactive.
5. In 2013 a proposal wasmade to improve the AppliedMathcourse andto introduce anoptional
Additional Mathcourse toprovide Omani studentswithahigherlevel of mathematicsthanis
currentlyavailable.These proposalsremainactive.
6. In 2013 the newOmani standardsproject,inconjunctionwithCfBT,wasbegunandI was involved
inwritingthese newstandardswithothermembersof the mathteam.
7. A reviewof the Math curriculuminothercountrieswascarriedout,most attention wasgivento
countriesthatwere highachieving,especiallySingapore.The objectiveof thisexercise wasto
incorporate ideasintothe newStandardsthatwere beingwrittenforOman.
8. In 2013 a reportentitled‘LessonsfromTIMSS’waswritten.It analysedthe 2011 resultsfrom
TIMSS and suggestedthatgreaterattentionneedstobe giventodevelopingteacher’sskillsinthe
math andscience classrooms.
9. In 2013 at the requestof the thendeputydirectorof curriculum, Iwasinvolvedinwritinga
proposal toestablishinOmana numberof Science Centrestoserve schoolsinall governorates.This
proposal remainsactive.
10. In 2013 a reportwas writtensuggestingpossibleareaof Oman - US cooperationinscience and
technologyEducation.
11. Throughout2014 a great deal of attentionwasgivenovertothe discussionandwritingof the
mathematicsStandards.Alternativeformatswere oftenbeingproposed.
12. In 2014 a reporton EntrepreneurSkillsfor21st Centurywaswritten,andthiswaslinkedtothe
developmentof a projectonInnovation&EntrepreneurshipProjectthatwasalreadybeingtriedin
some Muscat schools.A report onteachers’viewsof thisprojectwaswrittenandsubmittedtothe
thendeputydirectorof curriculum.
13. In 2014 a reporton the importance of establishinginOmani schoolsaprogramme of STEM
educationwaswrittenandsubmittedtothe thendeputydirectorof curriculum.
14. In 2014 a reviewof the presentOmani philosophyof educationwasmade andanew proposal
was written forPhilosophyandAimsof Educationinthe Sultanate of Oman.
15. In 2014, I reviewedthe newstandardsforCycle 1math

3. 16. In 2014, at the requestof the thendeputydirectorof curriculumareporton PublishingTraining
NeedsforMOE was written.The purpose of the reportwasto identify‘trainingneeds’forMOE
textbookwriters,tobe deliveredbyCambridge Univ.Pressrepresentatives.
17. In 2015, a reportwaswrittenonthe national MathematicsSurvey:Whydomanystudentsin
schoolsachieve lessthan50%in Mathematics?
18. In 2015, at the requestof the deputydirectorof curriculumareporton the Analysisof National
StatisticsforCore CurriculumSubjects(using2013 and 2014 resultsforGrades10/11) was made and
newstatistical graphsemphasisingdifferencesbetweengovernorateswere produced.
19. In2015 a reporton G12 School FailuresandRepeaters2013-14 wasproduced.
20. In 2015, an analysisof othercountriesSchool emergencyplanswasmade tosee whatwouldbe
useful forOmani schools.
21. 2015 I am presentlyreviewingthe new mathstandardsforCycle 2.