Since the early 1970’s when Oman’s Renaissance began, a major concern of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has been to provide Education for all. His Majesty’s commitment to Education is illustrated by this famous statement: "Let there be learning, even under the shade of trees". In January 1994, Royal Decree 2/1994 separated the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) from the Ministry of Education; and gave the MoHE an independent mandate and a new organizational structure. It was at this time that six Colleges of Education under the jurisdiction of the MoHE were converted into Colleges of Education offering Bachelor degrees in Education. In the academic year 2005-06, and consistent with the planning imperatives of the MoHE, the Teacher Training Colleges were converted into degree-granting Colleges of Applied Sciences. The number of private universities and colleges in the Sultanate has increased dramatically over the past decade, and now stands at twenty-six. There has also been a substantial increase in the number of scholarships awarded to students to study in-country, as well as abroad.