‘Dancing Between Raindrops’: Politics Education in the Sultanate of Oman 2012–2019

Abstract

Drawing on a five‑year participant‑observer study the evolution of politics education in the Sultanate of Oman from 2012 to 2019 is discussed. The aim is to shed light on the significance and implications of new explicitly politics‑related curricula introduced at Sultan Qaboos University shortly after ‘Arab Spring’ protests shook the country in 2011. The argument is presented that Oman stands at a pivotal juncture in its education policy in the humanities and the social sciences. The choice is between retreating into the type of state‑centric and uncritical curricula common among the authoritarian systems of the Middle East and North Africa, or continuing the partial opening of an educational evolution that could more effectively equip the next generation of Omani leaders to help face challenges that lie ahead.