Basic Education Educational and administrative support         The concept of basic education has been given to alternative non-conventional educational systems including the years of two cycles, primary and preparatory according to a specially designed style to suit the conditions of the region in which it is applied and according to the conditions of each territory or state which adopt this educational system.   Definition: Within the framework of developing education in the Sultanate of Oman , Basic Education has been defined as unified education provided by the state to all the children in the Sultanate at the age of education .It lasts  10 years  and provides basic educational needs as to information , aspects of knowledge and skills ,as well as the development of objectives and values  that enable  the learners of continuing  in education and training according to their  tendencies , readiness and abilities  which this education  aims at its development  to face the challenges  of the present and the prospects of the future within the framework of the overall social development.   Prospects: Unified education for all on the basis that they are members of the one community having common aims and ambitions which need a common amount of learning and culture which ensure the integrity of the community in keeping with its Arabic and Islamic identity. A ten-year education in keeping with the modern educational approaches and the requirements of modern life as well as the needs of Omani development, aiming at the expansion of the foundation of basic education and eradicating analphabetism, supplying learners with knowledge, skills, prospects and basic necessary values, taking into consideration their characteristics and the requirements of their development in each stage of their ages. Basic education has been divided into two cycles: The First cycle or the first stage from the first class to the fourth, the second stage from the fifth to the tenth. -Education characterized by its thoroughness as to the development of all the factors of personality of the learner within a balanced and complementary framework. – An education interested in the link between theory and practice, thought and work, education and life in accordance with the complementarity of experience. An education aiming at making the learner gain the skills of self-learning within the framework of continuous education and planting the necessary values and practices for the purpose of excelling in learning and teaching . An education characterized by flexibility in its orientation and outcomes since the learner is prepared to continue learning in further stages or it prepares him for the training of the work market according to his abilities, readiness and competence.  An education that aims at preparing the learners to participate in the overall social development.   Its justifications:        Omani society , like other modern societies, is undergoing successive and fast developments in the different domains of life, which necessitates that the educational development  becomes a permanent practice  that is affected by those developments  and contributes basically to make them. In this context, the Sultanate of Oman, adopts the concept of basic education  for many reasons , among which the most important are the following; 1-The need to develop education and update its competence in the light of the challenges of the era and its requirements, as well as the future perspectives. The necessity to merge the first stages of education in a unified stage to minimize the educational waste and loss. The preponderance of the theoretical side in the general education in its present form in its first stages and its lack to link that to the practical side. - As a reply to the recommendations of the educational forums which called for the adoption of the concept of basic education in the recent years. To emphasize the strategy of the development of the Arab Education by aiming at generalizing basic education and developing its content and structure, this enables it to be suitably flexible and varied. The invitation of the forum of the future perspective of the Omani Economy (Oman 2002) to prepare developed Omani human resources, having competence and skills which enable them to cope with the technological development and to manage the changes that happen in it with great competence as well as facing the local and international constantly changing conditions and in such a way that ensures the protection of the Islamic values, Omani virtuous customs and traditions.      Its Aims:     On the whole, basic education aims at the development of the different sides of the learner's personality, a thorough and complementary development within the principles of the Islamic religion and the bases of the Omani cultural identity and plant in the mind of the learner the notion of belonging to the nation, to the Islamic, human and Arab world. It also aims at developing his ability to interact with his environment.         Basic education also aims at making the learner gain necessary skills for life and that by developing his communicating skill, self-learning and ability to use the scientific style in thinking using criticism and deal with sciences and modern technologies. In addition to that, this education aims at enabling the learner to gain the values of work, production, excellence and the participation in the public life and the ability to get on with the updates of the era , deal with his problems with consciousness, know-how and  protection of the environment and the continuation of its resources and the good exploitation of free time.   Its Outputs:  After completing the stage of basic education – with its meaning and dimensions as shown above- the learner is expected to have an educational standard matching his schoolmates in most of the developed countries where he acquires the following knowledge, skills, competence, abilities and values: 1.      Necessary Islamic Sciences for his life as a Muslim. 2.       The basics of the Arabic language arts. 3.      Appreciation of the Omani, Arab and Islamic heritage. 4.       The ability to cooperate, continue, search and inquire. 5.      The skills of self-learning and access to information in its different forms. 6.      Competences to think scientifically, criticize, create, excel and have a sense of aesthetics. 7.      A good knowledge of Mathematics, sciences and computer skills. 8.      A suitable knowledge of English. 9.      Skills of doing a good job and good reparation of time. 10.  Protection and good use of the natural resources. 11.  Suitable artistic, sports and musical skills. 12.  Factual environmental life skills. 13.  A positive preparation towards the practice of handy works in the daily life and a good respect of handy work.         Its Curricula:      Within the framework of the concept of basic education adopted by Oman and according to the modern educational instructions , the curriculum  includes besides the subjects included  in the school  plan all the learner's skills in  the educational institution inside the curriculum or extra-curriculum, its acquired social skills  outside the school system, added to it the link of that plan  with the practical proceeding factors  of the educational process for the purpose of establishing  a close complementarity among these factors that ensures the materialization of the different teaching and learning processes. Many educational issues have been taken into consideration in the basic education curricula, from which we note:   Suitability of the curriculum:  By Suitability of the curriculum is meant the extent it is relevant to a specific school age and that on the basis of different scientific, economic, social ,philosophical and educational considerations and according to the community's ambitions and the learners' psychology ,and that is a necessity imposed by the economic, technological, scientific and social development. Local social, economic and international factors altogether contribute to fix the extent of the suitability of the curriculum to make it an issue in constant development.   Based on this logic , the school plan as well as all the school curricula have been reconsidered for the purpose of developing them to make them suitable with the new approaches and for the purpose of organizing the content and balance its different sides. The school plan so developed includes the following subjects:   The school plan for classes of the first stage ( 1-4 of Basic Education):*     First Second Third Fourth Total Islamic Education 6 6 6 5 23 Arabic 12 12 10 7 41 English 5 5 5 5 20 Mathematics 7 7 7 7 28 Sciences 3 3 3 5 14 Social Studies 0 0 2 3 5 Physical Education 2 2 2 2 8 Artistic Education 2 2 2 2 8 Music Education 1 1 1 1 4 Environmental life skills 1 1 1 1 4 I T 1 1 1 2 5 Total Periods 40 40 40 40 160 Centralized Curriculum:           Educational approaches tend to be complementary and integrated in the Basic education. This complementary tendency is based on providing a balanced general culture for all learners (Centralized curriculum) which consists of a group of developed complementary bases inspired by the different branches of knowledge and their applications and which are directed towards the supply of the learner with the culture which  he needs in his life  and in his work. These bases are linked with the progress of the learner in his study to become a prelude to qualification in the advanced stages.   Learning and Teaching strategies:     Owing to the fact that basic education is a stage of forming foundation of habits of thinking, work and behaviour with the young learner, most of what the learner acquires during this stage remains with him in the further stages of education and in the fields of life and production   From this point of view arises the importance of the learning and teaching processes which makes the curriculum something live and active and gives it its full dimensions in basic education.           Curricula are designed on the basis of centralization around the learner, his tendencies, and his physical and moral needs and in particular in the first stage of basic education and besides that the emphasis, in the second stage, is on making the social approach of the learner mature. Moreover, when designing the curricula of the basic education, it will be taken into consideration the fact of not relying on the continuation of a single learning and teaching strategy but on the use of varied strategies  according to the needs of the learners and the learning and teaching nature. It also takes into consideration the individual differences between the learners. The teacher's guide commonly known as the Teacher's book is considered as a rich source which provides the teacher with a variety of teaching strategies and teaching methods enough to ensure the improvement of the quality of learning and teaching as well as raising its standard constantly.   Teaching and Learning techniques:     Learning and teaching means and techniques are linked closely with methods, ways and adopted strategies .And in turn these   learning and teaching means and techniques are linked to the aims of the curriculum, theoretical structures and scientific drives. This association between all the educational factors and activities is necessary to get its complementary outputs with the required qualities and at the expected standard.   In the basic education in particular, we consider teaching and learning techniques among the most important factors   that contribute to achieve a practical learning and teaching processes, by using all that is appropriate in them and making sure when choosing them that they are suitable with the selected learning strategies and their good use and appropriate timing to achieve the targeted educational purposes.   Assessment Techniques:       Assessment strategies are not separated from learning and teaching strategies but they make an integral part in them since they aim mainly at improving those operations and upgrade the standard of the learners' learning. Among the present learning approaches  is the consideration of the fact that all learners would able to learn at school if enough care had been provided to them before and during the learning  process. Therefore, the changes and amendable factors shall be amended and shall be directed towards the learners to assist the slow learner in his performance and enrich and reinforce the gain of the advanced learner.      This approach needs to treat the learner as a trainee and requires to help him learn well from the beginning until he becomes good than excellent. What helps to achieve this is the fact of allowing enough time for learning and teaching processes by increasing the actual learning time of the learners during the school day and the school year.       Moreover, we should make the follow-up of learners by using the suitable mechanisms that ensures the provision of feedback for the purpose of enlightening the learner with what he has learnt well and what he needs to learn along with fixing the appropriate, revisional, educational proceedings to help him make the assessment of his learning process.   Educational and Administrative support      Out of the effort to exploit all the available possibilities  for the purpose of ensuring the educational outputs adopted  by the use of the concept of  basic education and from the firm belief  of the role of the administration in its broadest meaning  in the orientation of the implementation of the project of basic education in the field of real life , Qualified human personnel has been provided and suitably trained , as well as the provision of the necessary educational means that ensure the achievement of the goals that5 have been fixed and reach the expected outputs.     3- Human resources:        Owing to the modern principles and bases implied by the concept of basic education adopted by the Sultanate of Oman, functional missions allocated for each qualified employee at school diversified functional duties, but became complementary and that has been because of the creation of new posts at school for the purpose of revision of the required balance between the administrative and technical sides of those qualified personnel in the daily school work. In addition, out of the belief that human resources are the base of development and progress and are the milestones  to ensure the materialization of the basic education and its means and principles  in a real world as ideal as it may be, new qualified training programs  in this respect have been designed for all the  employees in the field of basic education as to technicians and administrators.        So, the headmaster of the school within the context of basic education becomes a mere general supervisor  of the educational process with its two sides technical and administrative , at school are appointed technical and educational staff each in his qualification. The teacher in the basic school is not a mere inculcator of the learner and a means of transfer of knowledge but a guide and trainer of the learner whom he helps to acquire learning skills and use the techniques of learning that will lead him to the different sources of knowledge for the purpose of development of the spirit of work, perfection and creativity.          Among the new cadres  in the light of adopting the concept of basic education the teacher of the theme ( a group of similar subjects) who is a teacher who teaches one theme/subject (Islamic Education, Arabic language and Social Studies) or (Sciences and Mathematics) at schools of the first cycle (stage) (Classes from 1 to 4 ) of the basic school. The Senior teacher who is considered as the supervisor and assessor of the teachers of his subject/field at school, undertakes the coordination of the teaching of his subject and discusses with the teachers the subjects and issues connected/related to it.           There is the administrative supervisor who undertakes the follow-up of the different issues related to the administrative and financial sides, the discipline of the students, transport and the maintenance of the school facilities. He also undertakes the art of the management of the sources of learning, the equipment of the sources of learning, computer labs at school, as well as their management to be used by students, diagnosing breakdowns, follow-up and updating the equipments and all related issues.        There is also the social specialist whose role has been developed to contribute effectively in providing a healthy educational environment that ensures to the learners the achievement of good scientific results as expected in a school environment and that through studying the social and psychological sides that affect the results of the learners as well as identifying the challenges that they may face, guide them to the efficient ways to overcome them. There is also the professional guide in the second cycle (stage) of the basic education who takes  in charge the education of the learners and making them aware of their abilities , interests and tendencies and guides them towards the appropriate professional, scientific and school fields after finishing school in the post basic education stage  up to the twelfth form.           In addition to this and within the frame of basic education, all  technical and administrative cadres operating in the schools of the first stage had been feminized (from the first  to the fourth classes) and that for the purpose of ensuring the learner's  psychological security and motivating him to learn in an educational environment which takes into consideration  the psychological conditions  through which the learner may go through as he moves from his home to school and for the purpose of taking his hand  progressively in the stages of his next development.        For the purpose of providing the technical and administrative supervision of the cadres of the school , a developed structure  has  been created at t5he level of administration and at the technical level and organized at continuous  sessions. So besides the headmaster, his assistant  and the senior teacher, the inspector of the field of studies  in the first stage , the supervisor of the subject  and the senior supervisor  in the educational region , there is the general inspector  of the subject at the level of the Ministry who undertakes the operation of the planning of the pedagogical  and administrative supervision and its development through field practice  and according to clarified circles .Beside the administrative supervisor  at school ,there is a senior administrative supervisor (inspector). There is also the general administrative supervisor /inspector at the ministerial level who takes in charge the planning operation for the administrative supervision. Teacher of arts education Teacher of ecological and environmental skills  Three Senior teachers Guards Cleaners Coordinator of School's affairs Social Specialist Administrative supervisor Teacher of Musical education Teacher of physical education No (25-48) Teachers of Subjects   4- The relationship between school, home and the local environment:    Out of the principle of the complementary aspect of teachers' experiences  inside and outside the school system, the relationship between the school , home and the local community is being materialized, this is achieved by leaving open the different channels of communication  between the teacher and the students' parents  and especially in matters of their development and progress at school.  Therefore, the parents contribute in the education of their children and their follow-up . There is an exchange of feedback between school and the home to assess the situations of the learners continuously, guide them and improve the quality of their learning besides materializing the role of the parents' council (Committee) made of students' fathers and mothers so as to strengthen /reinforce the learning and teaching processes. With regard to the relationship between the school and the local environment, the school curriculum includes some aspects that require taking benefit from the resources of the environment and its possibilities in addition to the participation of its members in some of its supporting activities , and the local environment is considered as an exchanging cooperating and supporting relationship.   5- The School building:        Proportionally to those changes and modern pedagogical approaches in the different factors of the curriculum, the specifications of the school building shall be developed as well as its equipment to suit the requirements of the basic education in its above-mentioned meaning , since new school facilities have been added to the components of the school building such the school center of learning resources (Library) which is a center  including some desktop computers  and other learning means among the multimedia and audio-Visual means beside the reading materials and that for the purpose of supporting the different school subjects taught at school and motivating learners to self-study. There are also the computer labs and the environmental life skills (from 5Th to 10th basic education classes), besides the existence of modern educational tools and equipments which are in keeping with modern methods of teaching. In addition to that, educational furniture has been designed according to the educational requirements of the developed curriculum. Moreover, new science classrooms have been developed with new specifications along with science labs in accordance with the new adopted style for teaching sciences in the second stage of basic education (From 5Th to 10th classes).   6- Conclusion:           The basic education adopted by the Sultanate of Oman is based on scientific and pedagogical bases. It is a developed educational system with all its inputs and is not limited to aone single factor excluding the other. It is based on providing the necessary basic learning needs  as to skills and aspects of knowledge, the development of trends and values that enable education and training to continue according to abilities and  aspirations.           These efforts represent only one step on the path of qualitative development of education in the Sultanate of Oman since the development in any domain  must be taken as a continuous measure and not as an event which has a beginning and an end, and that way development is real.            This booklet aimed at defining the theoretical frameworks  of the concept of Basic Education with all its factors since it started by clarifying the definition of Basic Education, its dimensions , justifications, targets and outputs, then it passed on to show its curricula, principles and pedagogical approaches on which these curricula have been designed, then it dealt with the administrative and pedagogical support as to the necessary human resources for the basic education system, the cooperating  and inter-related relationship between school, home and the local environment, the specifications of the school building and equipments.