A number of expatriate schools come together in celebration of Oman’s 48th National Day
Times News Service
MUSCAT: Schools representing several expatriate communities in Oman united on Thursday evening to present a joint cultural show to mark the Sultanate’s 48th National Day.
Titled Al Ta’ayush Al Silmi or Bonding Beyond Boundaries, the programme was held at Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir and showcased indigenous cultural programmes from different community, private and international schools across Muscat.
Each school presented a programme that reflected its students’ culture and traditions, with the objective of showing residents and citizens in the country the culture shared by people beyond borders.
Dr Baby Sam Saamuel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Indian Schools in the Sultanate of Oman, was happy to see so many different community schools come together to celebrate their experiences in the Sultanate, and hoped that the next generation would also take these lessons on hand.
“Al Ta’ayush Al Silmi, as an interschool, inter-cultural event, is a common platform for all the participating schools and communities to come together as one to show our solidarity to Oman and all the diverse cultures that make up this land on the occasion of the 48th National Day of the Sultanate,” said Saamuel, speaking to the Times of Oman. “Most importantly, we hope to instill in our children a sense of oneness and community with various cultures, traditions and heritage that will enable them to build a more unified world as global citizens of tomorrow.”
At the event, which was presided over by Chief Guest His Highness Sayyid Faher bin Fatik Al Said, students from various schools showcased their spectrum of cultural diversity. The schools that were invited included the Sri Lankan School Muscat, Bangladeshi School Muscat, Egyptian School Muscat, Pakistan School Muscat, the Tunisian School Muscat, the Philippine School of the Sultanate of Oman and Al Hail Private School.
In addition, student bodies from the Indian School system across Oman also participated in the event. This was the first time that schools from across different communities in the Sultanate united on a common platform to share and highlight their shared experiences of the country.
Harmonious co-existence
The Arabic phrase Al Ta’ayush Al Silmi signifies the harmonious coexistence of diverse cultural communities, and is run by the Board of Directors of Indian Schools in the Sultanate, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, which has always set store by the importance and value of imparting education to young minds with a view to establishing a robust presence in the country, both now and in the future.
This is in keeping with the major positive developments by the Ministry of Education to step up its efforts to provide diverse educational services and programmes in varied spheres, which confirm the Sultanate’s commitment and aspirations to achieve quality education for all.
“This is the first time the Board of Directors has held such a programme, with the participation of many expatriate schools,” added Saamuel. “The Ministry of Education used to previously hold a fair of the same nature in Qurum Park, but when it comes to such a cultural gathering, then yes, this is the first time it has happened.”
Dr Hamoud bin Khalfan Al Harthy, Undersecretary of Education and Curricula, Ministry of Education was the chief guest, with the ambassadors of India and Tunisia being invited as the guests of honour. Consular Officials from the Embassies of Egypt, Filipino, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka were the special guests on the occasion.
In addition, Mahmood Yahya Al Husaini, Assistant Director-General for Administration and Financial Affairs, Ministry of Education, gave a presentation on the glimpses of previous cultural exchange programmes organised by the Ministry. Dignitaries from the Ministry of Education and members of the Board of Directors of different international schools were also present on the occasion.