Omani schools criticised for altering grades to maintain rating

Members of Oman’s Majlis Al Shura have reportedly criticised teachers in the country found to pass students with poor grades in order to maintain the rating of their schools.

Times of Oman reports that the consultative assembly’s Educational Committee head Khalid Al Farei blasted schools administrations for encouraging the act during a session on Tuesday.

“We have noticed that the directorate has formed an investigative committee after receiving a notice from a group of teachers about their school administration increasing the marks of failed students after the exam papers were corrected and also tampered with the results to increase the number of passing students. These acts were done for keeping results from impacting the school’s rating,” he said.

Schools in the sultanate are ranked each year based on the number of students that pass their exams and proceed to the next grade or graduate.

Al Farei said manipulating students’ results to maintain rankings encouraged bad habits and praised teachers who refused to take part.

“This also produces misleading results about the students’ levels in Oman’s different schools,” Al Farei said.

In response, some criticised the “pressure” of the education system in the country for the practice.

One ex-teacher told the publication she had been forced to inflate high school students’ results for decades due to pressure from head teachers and school principals.

Teachers in the country are allowed to give extra marks to students who are well behaved or have a good attendance record under Omani law, but it is illegal to manipulate exam answers.

The Shura member encouraged the Ministry of Education to punish those responsible and called for greater supervision of classes.