Abstract
For approximately 20 years, the government of the Sultanate of Oman, under the leadership of Sultan Qaboos, has sought to lay the foundations for Oman’s transition to a knowledge society. Great improvements have been made in this direction, and the country has enjoyed continued development across almost every area of its social and economic life during this period. However, there is still work to be done, especially in the area of human capital and co-citizenship, with this being particularly true in relation to education. For instance, the fact that almost all students leaving secondary education need foundation programs reveals that they are not really “college ready.” They require remediation and support, especially in English, mathematics, and IT. This paper looks at some preliminary concepts and concerns which could be beneficial to Omani colleges seeking to set up support, or remedial, programs, and structures, before discussing the ways in which such programs can have a positive impact on students who may otherwise not complete their studies.
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Notes
- 1.
Young Omanis’ sense of educational entitlement is comparable to the idea held by some that the citizens are almost naturally entitled to a job and their employers are obliged to keep them in employment regardless of how well or badly they perform. This “culture of entitlement” is naturally not present only in the sultanate but also in some parts of Europe and elsewhere (Kaufman, 2011; MacDonald, 2005). Its defining characteristic and the dangers involved in redressing the situation have succinctly been described by Kaufman (2011): “In a culture of entitlement there is the belief that one deserves certain rewards, rights, and privileges based on tradition or past achievements. In contrast, in a culture of accountability rewards, rights, and privileges are only earned based on the merits of one’s current behaviors and actions and the measurable results they produce. The transition from a culture of entitlement to a culture of accountability is a perilous journey because rights and privileges are no longer automatic, and the “entitled party” usually feels disappointed, angry, or mistreated” (p. 299).
- 2.
Nunan et al. (2005) have spoken of “curriculum justice” (p. 250) in this respect: “This construction of inclusivity has as a focus not just the factors directly affecting access, participation and success but also the criteria for judging success, and by whom and how success is determined. It is not just concerned with representing the full range of views (clearly an untenable position given the limitations of time on a curriculum) but in ensuring that the decisions about what is included are made according to criteria which affirm the basic human values of participation, democracy, equality and emancipation” (p. 252).
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Scatolini, S.S., Shamim Miah, A.S.M., George, M.A. (2018). Remediation in College: Some Preliminary Considerations for Establishing Support Schemes for Omani At-Risk Students. In: Al-Mahrooqi, R., Denman, C. (eds) English Education in Oman. English Language Education, vol 15. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0265-7_10
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