Beeline for Indian schools in Muscat; 1,900 waitlisted

The first merit list for admissions to Indian schools in Oman's capital Muscat brought with it sleepless nights for parents from the Indian community, with 1,900 applications being kept on the waiting list, media reported on Tuesday.

Speaking to the Times of Oman, Wilson George, chairman of the Indian Schools in Oman, said that 1,900 students have been waitlisted as the number of applicants far exceeded the available seats in the six Indian schools in the Muscat capital area.

This year, there have been around 5,000 applications for admissions in various classes in Indian schools.

"However, in the first list we have managed to accommodate only 3,100 students as only 2,400 seats were available when we opened the admission process this year," George revealed.

He had some words of assurance though. "...There are seats which are left to be allocated in afternoon shifts at Mabela and Seeb," he said. In the afternoon section, both schools can accommodate around 400 students.

George admitted that it would be a "real challenge" to accommodate everybody.

Admissions in the Indian schools in Muscat have begun to resemble a mad scramble.

"I have been trying to get my daughter admitted for the last six months," said a parent.

Another parent, Sudha, said finding an Indian school for her daughter has been nothing short of "a nightmare".

"I was shocked to find my daughter's name missing from the first list. If her name is not in the second list, I may have to return to India. I never thought it would be so difficult," she added.

The next draw will be in the first week of April.

Indians constitute the largest expatriate community in Oman with a population of a little over 0.7 million out of the Gulf nation's total population of 3.83 million.