Shell supports the Omani Ministry of Education's ICDL implementation project by sponsoring 2,290 teachers

The agreement was signed recently by H.E. Mustafa bin Ali bin Abdul Lateef, Undersecretary, Finance and Administration, Oman Ministry of Education and Dr Andrew Wood, Shell Country Chairman and General Manager - Shell Representation Office Oman and Jamil Ezzo, Director General, ICDL GCC Foundation. This initiative is line with the Government of Oman's directives to provide ICDL certification to all employees working in public, civil and military sectors in the Sultanate.

Shell has allocated US$ 150,000 to fund the project, as part of its social activities program. This initiative aims to equip teachers in the sultanate with ICDL program that is considered as a benchmark recognised internationally to ascertain IT proficiency.

This cooperation comes in support of the Ministry of Education's project, which involves initially accrediting 360 schools as training centres along with 12 schools as testing centres. The ICDL certification will be implemented to all the teachers working under the Oman Ministry of Education and it will be adopted to teach IT to over 50,000 public school eleventh graders every year.

The ICDL program covers all the basic aspects of computing and its practical applications, usages and benefits in professional and personal aspects of life. The Ministry of Education will work closely with ICDL GCC Foundation to administer the project and ensure that the training and testing adhere to the global standards set for the ICDL programs. ICDL, the internationally recognised IT proficiency standard owned by the European Computer Driving License (ECDL) Foundation is also endorsed by the Ministry of Education in Oman.

Announcing this sponsorship, Dr Andrew Wood, Shell Country Chairman and General Manager of the Shell Representative Office Oman said, "In today's Information Age, mastering computer skills is as fundamental as reading and writing skills. The application of information technology is increasing day by day in all aspects of life. We are proud to support the Government's efforts by sponsoring the ICDL project for all teachers as it is a leading computer proficiency certification, recognized around the world."

Sulaiman Al Kendy, Deputy Manager of the Education Technology Department at the Ministry of Education in Oman said, "It is the aim of the Ministry to provide ICDL certification to teachers in Oman, not just to develop and raise their educational skills, but also to enhance the quality of their educational practices as a whole by using the technologically advanced tools to deliver scientific content to all students. All teachers who successfully pass the ICDL test will be awarded the international accreditation certificate, which will significantly help in their career growth."

"We would like to thank Shell's support to the Oman Ministry of Education project by providing a number of teachers the opportunity to earn the ICDL certification. We at ICDL GCC Foundation applaud such close cooperation between the governments and private sectors," said Jamil Ezzo, Director General, ICDL GCC Foundation. "We are proud of such initiatives, which prove our continuous success in consolidating ICDL's position in the GCC Countries. The ICDL program has proved its efficiency in assisting governments meet major social and economic objectives through improving IT skills of their workforce and the public to help-bridge the digital divide."

ICDL GCC Foundation is the governing body of the ICDL programs in the Gulf States and the regional arm of EDCL Foundation, responsible for accrediting and supporting ICDL training and testing centres in the region. It also acts as the reviewing and approving body for local ICDL adaptations as well as enforcing the international quality standards of the ICDL program. ICDL's programs are administered in more than 135 countries worldwide to more than 4 million participants.

The ICDL program has achieved remarkable success in the Middle East since its introduction in the region in 2001 by UNESCO Cairo Office (UCO). The certification is administered through region-wide training and certification centres. In addition, most education ministries and academic institutions in the region have endorsed the program and are adopting it to enhance IT skills of students and teachers.