Safeguarding in international schools in Oman: local law

In Oman, the Ministry of Education licenses and supervises private schools, and that includes international schools. The private school by-laws are Ministerial Decision 287/2017. Ministerial Decision 30/2023 changed some of them, so read the current text.

Accreditation is a separate layer. Some schools in Oman hold accreditation from the Council of International Schools (CIS), the Council of British International Schools (COBIS) or the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Check what your own accreditor asks for.

The Ministry and your accreditor do not always ask for the same things. Your procedure has to work for both.

The main law is the Child Law, issued as Royal Decree 22/2014. It defines a child as anyone under 18. Article 7 gives every child the right to protection from violence, exploitation and abuse.

The private school by-laws add a duty at school level. As issued in 2017, Article 4 says a private school must protect each student from violence, physical or psychological harm, sexual abuse, mistreatment and exploitation.

The same text asks for a social or psychological specialist in larger schools (Article 73). That means 200 or more students, or a school that includes Grade 6 or above. It also asks for a confidential file on each student (Article 90).

Oman issues its laws in Arabic. The English versions linked here are unofficial translations. Ask local counsel to confirm the current wording.

Article 63 of the Child Law speaks to teachers by name. It says doctors, teachers and others who learn of violence, exploitation or abuse through their work should report it to the Child Protection Committees.

The English translation says "should". The penalty articles of the Child Law do not mention Article 63. Local counsel can tell you how the Ministry reads this duty for your school.

Article 62 lets anyone report, and the committees must protect that person and keep their name private. Article 225 of the Penal Code (Royal Decree 7/2018) also punishes failing to report a felony you could have prevented. Ask counsel whether it reaches a given case.

Because Article 63 names teachers, write your policy so no adult is blocked from reporting outside the school. Staff still tell the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) the same day.

If a child is in immediate danger, call 9999 first. The Royal Oman Police list it as their emergency number. The UK government lists it for police, ambulance and fire.

For child protection concerns, the Ministry of Social Development runs the Child Protection Hotline on 1100. UNICEF Oman says the Ministry hotline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. UNICEF also lists 1555 to report an incident.

Reports about abuse go to the Child Protection Committees. The Minister of Social Development sets them up under Article 60 of the Child Law. Ask the Ministry which committee covers your area, write its contact into your procedure, and check every number each term.

International standards, including the International Task Force on Child Protection (ITFCP) guidance, ask staff to pass on small concerns early. Article 63 speaks of cases of violence, exploitation or abuse. Your procedure should ask for the earlier report.

Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE) is English guidance. It has no legal force in Oman, though many British-curriculum schools model their policy on it. Say so in the policy, so nobody cites a duty that does not apply.

A shape that works has three steps. Staff tell the DSL the same day. The DSL decides on the report to the Child Protection Committees, with counsel when needed.

The policy also says any adult may report directly. There is more in mandatory reporting laws for international schools and in which parts of KCSIE travel overseas.

Oman's Personal Data Protection Law is Royal Decree 6/2022. The law firm CMS reports that it became fully enforceable on 5 February 2026, after a transition period. The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology is the regulator.

The law asks for explicit consent to process personal data. Processing a child's data needs a guardian's approval, unless the child's best interest applies under the regulation. Some sensitive data, such as health or biometric data, needs a permit.

Sending personal data out of Oman is restricted. CMS reports that it needs the person's explicit consent, and it describes no general rule that data must stay in Oman. The Executive Regulations (Ministerial Decision 34/2024) hold the detail.

Safeguarding files hold health, family and conduct details. Before you pick a platform hosted abroad, ask counsel about consent, permits and transfers. The private school by-laws also say student files must stay confidential.

Oman's laws are written in Arabic. Many teachers work in English, while drivers, guards and cleaners may work in Arabic or other languages. Give each group the reporting route in a language they read well, as in translation and localisation of safeguarding training.

Article 3 of the private school by-laws says a school works within the values and customs of Oman. As issued in 2017, Article 67 limits teaching and administrative hires in pre-school and Grades 1 to 4 to women. Check both points with the Ministry.

Corporal punishment is banned in schools. Article 93 of the private school by-laws bars it and makes the person who does it personally liable. Press reports on the 2023 School Education Law say its Article 59 bars it for teaching staff.

The law at home is different. A report updated in February 2023 says parents may still discipline children within the limits of Sharia or the law. Even so, a child who says they were hit at home gets a same-day report to the DSL.

The Royal Oman Police issue a Non-Conviction Certificate. The government portal lists an online service for Omanis and foreign residents, with extra steps for people who have left Oman.

The private school by-laws ask that staff have good conduct and no felony or dishonesty conviction (Article 70). The Ministry must also approve appointments in writing (Article 66). Those are the 2017 articles, so check for changes.

The Oman certificate covers only Oman. Ask for a police certificate from every other country where the person lived. The wider process is in safer recruitment for international schools.

Use this list in your first month. This guide is general information, not legal advice, so confirm current law with local counsel and the relevant authority. Facts last checked: 19 October 2026.

• Save 9999 and 1100 on staff phones and post them in staff rooms.
• Ask the Ministry of Social Development which Child Protection Committee covers your school.
• Ask counsel to confirm your licence terms and the current private school by-laws.
• Write one reporting route: tell the DSL the same day, and block no one from reporting out.
• Publish the route in English, Arabic and your main staff languages.
• Ask counsel about consent and transfer rules before you store records on a platform hosted abroad.
• Collect a police certificate from every country each new hire has lived in.