VZCZCXRO8068
OO RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHMS #0747/01 3031326
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 291326Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0073
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MUSCAT 000747 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS TO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR SECRETARY 
SPELLINGS; STATE FOR NEA/PD, NEA/ARP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL OEXC OVIP KPAO MU
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR SECRETARY SPELLINGS TRIP TO OMAN 
(OCT. 31-NOV. 2) 
 
Introduction 
------------ 
 
¶1. (SBU) Madam Secretary:  Embassy Muscat, my wife and I 
warmly welcome you to Oman.  As one of our oldest friends in 
the region (the Omanis refer to their relationship with us as 
"strategic"), the Sultanate remains a trusted U.S. partner. 
This year marks the 175th anniversary of the U.S.-Oman 
"Treaty of Amity and Commerce," our second oldest treaty in 
the Middle East and North Africa.  Thanks in part to the 
signing of the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement in 2006, our 
economic relationship has grown deeper and opportunities for 
bilateral investment both here and in the U.S. have 
increased.  In both education and in public diplomacy more 
broadly, our ties are strong and growing.  The Sultanate 
recognizes the central role that education at all levels 
plays in the continuing development of the country, as well 
as its primacy in preparing youth (more than half the 
population) for life and work in what will have to be an 
increasingly diverse economy.  Sultan Qaboos is Oman's most 
ardent advocate for education.  Finally, the country is proud 
of its role as the host of this ministerial summit, and your 
presence, along with that of the other distinguished guests, 
is greatly appreciated as a sign of the seriousness of our 
commitment to strengthening international educational ties. 
End Introduction. 
 
Domestic Politics 
----------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) As a result of the strong leadership and pro-Western 
views of Sultan Qaboos, the country's trade and maritime 
heritage, and generally tolerant religious views, Omanis are 
known for openness and moderation. The Sultan is one of the 
most intellectual leaders in the region and the country's 
commitment to improving its educational system reflects his 
own deep beliefs on the subject.  His commitment to tolerance 
and opposition to division among religious or ethnic lines 
have resulted in the absence of sectarian or factional 
conflict.  In 1996, the Sultan promulgated Oman's "Basic 
Law," which defines certain rights and privileges for all 
citizens and enshrines the role of the Majlis Oman, a 
two-chamber advisory body with limited legislative functions. 
 Members of the upper house (the Majlis al-Dawla) are 
appointed by the Sultan; members of the lower house (the 
Majlis al-Shura) are directly elected by universal suffrage 
every four years.  While the Majlis Oman can review and 
comment on draft laws and budgets, it cannot initiate or veto 
legislation.  Political parties and interest groups are not 
allowed. 
 
Education:  Serving a Growing Populace 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The Omani education system is growing rapidly and 
struggling to keep up with the tremendous demands of Omani 
youth.  The first institution of higher learning, Sultan 
Qaboos University, opened its doors in 1986, and since then, 
over 40 other public and private post-secondary institutions 
have come online, in areas ranging from general undergraduate 
education to specialized programs in subjects from medicine 
to firefighting.  Omanis, recognizing the opportunities that 
a good education and English-language skills offer in an 
increasingly globalized region, are testing the capacities of 
the education system to its max, not least because the 
majority of higher-education teaching is carried out in 
English.  The Sultan places a strong emphasis on education 
and has financed the construction of several new campuses for 
public and private colleges and universities, as well as 
having the government underwrite scholarships for a 
significant percentage of the students in the private system. 
 
 
¶4.  (SBU) In a bid to modernize its primary and secondary 
education programs, the Ministry of Education launched a 
restructuring program in the late 1990's.  This initiative 
divided primary and secondary education into two cycles 
(cycle one Grades I to IV, and cycle two Grades V to X) and 
post-secondary education (Grades XI and XII).  Schools now 
begin exposing students to English language and IT skills 
from the outset, and the overall teaching methodology has 
shifted from rote to analytical learning.  The first 
graduates of this newly structured system are just now 
graduating and entering post-secondary programs. 
 
Partnership With the Ministry of Education 
------------------------------------------ 
 
 
MUSCAT 00000747  002 OF 003 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The Embassy and the Ministry of Education enjoy a 
strong relationship rooted in cooperation on several exchange 
and Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) programs.  The 
Ministry is an enthusiastic partner in programs including: 
- The English Access Microscholarship Program, which 
underwrites scholarships to lower-income students to study 
English in a two-year, part-time supplement to the state 
curriculum; 
- The Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program, which has sent 
over 35 Omani secondary (Grade X) students to the U.S. for a 
full academic year; 
- The Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Program 
(FLTA), in which over 45 Omani teachers from the Ministry 
have taught Arabic in U.S. colleges and universities for a 
year; 
- MEPI's Partnership Schools Project (PSP), which introduced 
teacher training in Child Centered Methodology (CCM), 
Principal Leadership Training (PLT), development of an online 
teacher training portal (ICM), and development of a 'Life 
Skills' curriculum; 
- The MEPI Scholarship Program, a partnership between the 
Ministry and embassy-affiliated The American International 
School of Muscat (TAISM) providing 8 scholarships to Omani 
high school students for grades 7 to 12; 
- MEPI's Arab Civitas Program, a broad-based introduction to 
concepts including responsible citizenship and civic 
participation, which aims to marginalize extremism and 
re-enforce the Sultanate's culture of openness, tolerance, 
and moderation. 
 
The U.S. a Model for Higher Education 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Links between U.S. and Omani higher education are 
strong.  Many private colleges and institutions have various 
kinds of cooperative programs with American institutions, 
ranging from occasional consultation on curriculum and 
quality assurance to founding partnerships that have 
benefited the Omani side enormously.  Some of the most 
successful of these include a linkage between the private 
Modern College of Business and Science in Muscat and the 
University of Missouri ) Saint Louis, the partnership 
between the Oman College of Nursing and Villanova University, 
and a long-standing relationship between the Oman Medical 
College and West Virginia University.  Oman does not 
currently have a U.S.-branded presence in higher education 
(such as those in Qatar's Education City or the George Mason 
University campus in the UAE), but there are projects at 
various stages that might bring at least one U.S. university 
to the Sultanate as a founding partner in a new Omani 
university.  American expertise, whether through USG programs 
such as Fulbright or through private hires, is much in 
demand, and American academics regularly report high levels 
of satisfaction with their Omani host institutions. 
 
Free Trade Agreement 
-------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Over two years have passed since the President and 
the Sultan signed the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement (FTA), 
but the trade deal has yet to enter into force as Oman 
underestimated the amount of legislative, regulatory, 
technical and administrative work required to fully comply 
with the Agreement's many provisions.  The just-concluded 
visits by Ambassador Susan Schwab, the U.S. Trade 
Representative, and by Deputy Secretary of State John 
Negroponte, have done much to help resolve remaining issues 
and we hope to achieve implementation by the end of the year. 
 
 
Trafficking in Persons 
---------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Omani government strongly objected to its Tier 3 
(lowest possible) ranking in the 2008 State Department 
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report.  Senior Omanis felt 
betrayed by the report, which they believed blackened the 
country's image.  The Sultanate subsequently took several 
steps against TIP and on October 20, as part of the process 
of closing out the 2008 TIP report, the White House released 
a Presidential Determination that returned Oman to the Tier 2 
Watch List.  The Omani government has reacted positively to 
this upgrade and has indicated that it is ready to leave 
behind this unpleasant but brief chapter in our otherwise 
strong bilateral relationship. 
 
Weathering the Global Financial Crisis 
-------------------------------------- 
 
MUSCAT 00000747  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶9. (SBU) Government officials have repeatedly stated to the 
press that Oman's economy has not been affected by the global 
financial crisis.  However, the Sultanate's stock market 
dropped by almost 40% over the last five months while its 
banking system, formerly flush with cash, is now facing 
difficulties in accessing credit from external sources for 
the financing of real estate construction.  Even with much 
tighter credit, a sharp market downturn and lower oil prices, 
Oman's economic growth, which eclipsed 12% in 2007, should 
continue thanks to government spending on big infrastructure 
and development projects.  We have not to date seen any 
wavering in the Sultanate's substantial financial commitment 
to continue enhancing and expanding primary, secondary, and 
tertiary education. 
 
Oman and the MENA Ministerial 
----------------------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Madam Secretary, Embassy Muscat looks forward to 
your visit to one of the Arab world's more unique and most 
stable countries.  Your hosts will be eager to showcase 
Oman's achievements not only in education but in many other 
areas of development during the MENA Ministerial. Despite 
significant challenges both in scope and in quality 
assurance, they have much to be proud of.  In comparison to 
some other educational and governmental systems in the Arab 
world, Oman's are well administered, focused on results that 
benefit Omani citizens, and reflective of international 
standards and best practices.  For a system that literally 
did not exist thirty years ago, the fact that education in 
particular plays such a central role in Omani life is a 
signal achievement. 
GRAPPO