Sultan Qaboos University has won an award from the ICDL GCC Foundation, the governing body and certification authority of the International Computer Driving License (ICDL), for its outstanding contribution to the promotion of IT literacy in Oman.

ICDL GCC Foundation had accredited the university's Centre for Community Service and Continuing Education to teach basic computer skills using the ICDL curriculum to students, faculty, staff and Omani citizens in 2005 in support of the ‘Digital Oman’ initiative.

The centre has over the years delivered the ICDL program to around 3,000 members of the defense, government and education fields as well as individuals from various sectors of society.

“We commend the centre for actively promoting ICDL projects for the past four years. It has been highly successful in empowering society through the delivery of essential skills needed in the new knowledge society,” stated Jamil Ezzo, director general, ICDL GCC Foundation.

Oman’s seventh Five Year Development Plan (2006-2010) identifies ICT as a priority growth sector. The Ministry of Education mandates that Information Technology be taught in schools as a separate subject from Grade 1 to Grade 10 under a new Basic Education system. The ICDL course is taught in the 11th Grade to transfer basic IT skills to students before they enter their chosen collegiate study program.

Around 370 accredited school-based training centres with ICDL-certified teachers have been established across Oman, with over 100,000 students already trained and tested at about 18 ICDL-accredited testing centres.-TradeArabia News Service