Education Management System
The Ministry of Education (MoE) is responsible for the pre-primary, primary, and secondary levels of education. Post-secondary education is the responsibility of theSchool Education
The structure of the educational system in Jordan consists of a two-year cycle of preschool education, ten years of compulsory basic education, and two years of secondary academic or vocational education after which the students sit for a General Certificate of Secondary Education Exam (''Tawjihi''). Basic Education is free of charge, and so is secondary education in public schools.Basic Education
Basic Education is a 10-year compulsory and free level of education (grades 1-10). Study books are standard books distributed by the Ministry of Education. Education is compulsory for all through the age of sixteen. More than half of the Jordan population is below the age of 30 years. About 42.2 percent are 14 years or younger, whereas 31.4 percent fall between 15 and 29 years of age; almost one-third of the Jordanians are enrolled in educational facilities. As of 2007/2008 the gross primary enrollment rate is 95.7 percent which is higher than the regional average of 93 percent. Jordan also ensures a high level of gender parity in access to basic services; the gender parity index for gross enrollment ratio in primary education is 0.98, better than other Arab countries. It is also one of the few Arab countries that have very small disparity in primary school attendance rates among urban and rural areas. This is mainly because public financing for basic schooling is more pro-poor than that for any other education level. Schools in Jordan have two main categories, government and private. The private education sector accommodates more than 31.14 percent of the student population in the capital of Jordan, Amman. This sector is still heavily taxed, up to 25%++, although it takes a high burden off the government of the Kingdom, which makes school fees relatively high, starting at $1000, and going up to $7000. These values for private education fees are extremely high when compared to the average family incomes.Secondary education
Students in this education level, choosing the scientific stream, are required to take nine subjects: Arabic, English, mathematics, computer studies, geology and environment, chemistry, biology, physics and cultural studies. While students choosing the classical stream, are required to take the following subjects: Arabic, Advanced Arabic, English, mathematics, computer science, and history. Islamic studies are also mandatory for all students except for Christian students. However that there are reforms planned to the secondary education system from 2020 onwards that might alter the streams available and the list of subjects. The secondary education level consists of two years' study for students aged 16 to 18 who have completed the basic cycle (ten years) and comprises two major tracks: * Secondary education (managed by the Ministry of Education), which can either be academic or vocational. At the end of the two-year period, students sit for the general secondary examination (Tawjihi) in the appropriate branch and those who pass are awarded the Tawjihi (General Secondary Education Certificate). The academic stream qualifies students for entrance to universities, whereas the vocational or technical type qualifies for entrance to Community Colleges or universities or the job market, provided they pass the two additional subjects. * Applied secondary education (managed by the Vocational Training corporation), which provides intensive vocational training and apprenticeship, and leads to the award of a certificate (not the Tawjihi). Practical training is made through apprenticeship, and not in school workshops as in vocational secondary education. Primary to secondary transition rate has reached 98.79 % as of 2013, The enrollment in secondary vocational education as a share of total secondary enrollment declined from 18 percent in 2000 to 12 percent in 2005. In international assessments, such as TIMSS and PISA, Jordan has performed well in comparison to other countries, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Report in 2003 ranked Jordanian students' scores to be 22 points above international average in science and mathematics. Since tertiary education is not free, the rate of transition to tertiary education is highly correlated with family incomes; there are 3 times more students at the university level from families in upper two income quintiles than those from families in the lower three.UNRWA in Jordan
TheEducation Reform Efforts
The most recent education reforms started in the early 1990s. This reform process was accelerated under His MajestyOnline Education
Darsak platform (درسك) is a Jordanian free-of-charge education platform that provides students with online video educational materials which is organized and scheduled according to the Jordanian educational curriculum. The platform aims to secure education for students from the first grade to the 12th-grade educational lessons through video clips whenever they don't have the access to the classroom. The Ministry of Education has utilized Darsak platform to support the educational process and ensure its continuation during the COVID-19 outbreak by making the educational programs available through the platform.Higher education
Just over 2.5% of Jordan's total population is enrolled at university, a proportion comparable to the United Kingdom. Access to higher education is open to holders of the General Secondary Education Certificate who can then choose between private Community Colleges, public Community Colleges, or universities (public and private). The credit-hour system, which entitles students to select courses according to a study plan, is implemented at universities. The higher education system of the country has evolved considerably in recent decades. In years between 2000/2001 and 2006/2007, Jordan has seen an increased demand for higher education, with enrollments growing at an annual rate of 14% from 77,841 to 218,900 students in that time period. Jordan has tertiary gross enrollment levels of about 40%, which is higher than the regional average. Three new public universities have been established recently, reaching a total of 10 public universities in the country. Eighteen out of twenty-eight total universities in Jordan are private, as of 2012/2013, and the vast majority of these are for-profit. Private universities account for 25% of Jordan's university student enrollment. Private universities have also seen a rapid increase in enrollments in recent years as public universities did. Since 2000 to 2006, enrollment in 12 private universities grew by about 18 percent annually from 36,642 to 55,744. However, enrollment numbers in community colleges declined from 30,000 to 26,215. This decrease in enrollment rates reflects growing preference for 4-year university education and also the fact that quality and level of training given in these colleges is not what is in demand in the labor market of a knowledge-based economy. With increasing number of students going for the attainment of higher education, the government is seen by some as needing to allocate greater resources in improving the current higher education system and also to improve access of good universities for the rising population. Even the private universities have been called on to change some of their admission policies. The enrollment cap in the private universities restricts the ability of university to absorb increasing number of higher education students. Projection for the number of students entering university is 92,000 per year by 2013 up from 50,469 in 2005.University Level Studies
Standard pathway
First stage: Undergraduate level
Most universities in Jordan follow the English-American education systems and are associated with many American and English universities. Bachelor's Degrees normally take four years. In Dentistry, Pharmacy and Engineering, studies last for five years. In Medicine, they last for six years, followed by an Internship which lasts for one year. The bachelor's degree requires a total of 126-257 credit hours, depending on the field of study.Second stage: Postgraduate level
A Master's degree is awarded after a further one to two years' study following a bachelor's degree. It can be obtained either by course work and a thesis (c. 24 credit hours of courses and nine credit hours of research), or by course work (c. 33 credit hours) and a comprehensive examination. There are other postgraduate degrees equivalent to the master's degree in some Jordanian universities like the Magister in the German Jordanian University, the DEA's degree in the Universities which follow the French system and the MBA for the students who have significant work experience.Third stage: Doctorate
A Doctorate Degree is awarded after three to five years of further study and the submission of an original dissertation. It requires, depending on the subject, 24 credit hours of course work and 24 credit hours of research.Teacher education: Training of pre-primary and primary/basic school teachers
Basic schoolteachers must hold a bachelor's degree. Training of secondary school teachers: Secondary school teachers must hold a bachelor's degree and a one-year postgraduate Higher Diploma in Education. Training of higher education teachers: They must hold a Doctorate (PhD). In some cases a master's degree is sufficient.Non-traditional studies: Distance higher education
This type of education is offered at the newly established branch of the Arab Open University.Non-University Level Studies
Non-university and vocational studies are offered in community colleges, access to which is open to holders of all types of general secondary education certificates. The two-to three-year programme encompasses many fields, such as Arts, Science, Management, Business Administration and Engineering. As of 1997, all public Community Colleges are under the supervision of Al-Balqa Applied University. At the end of the two- or three-year course, students sit for a comprehensive examination (Al-Shamel). Those who pass are awarded the associate degree / Diploma.Lifelong Higher Education
Lifelong education is offered at public and private universities, public and private community colleges, theChallenges
Jordan, despite showing impressive improvement in the education system, continues to face persistent problems in this sector. With a rising youth population, the Jordanian government has to ensure that the quality of education and level of skills imparted can help the new generation to compete effectively on a national and international scale. Currently, the biggest challenge is the increase of population due to refugee influx, which has put pressure on Jordan's schools and universities. A recent school utilization study indicates that the number of Ministry of Education students is expected to increase by 124,634 between 2008 and 2013. To accommodate the rise in students, additional 3,360 classrooms will be needed during this time period. The same study reveals an uneven provision of educational infrastructure. In the Kingdom there exists concurrently excess capacity and wide-scale overcrowding of the schools.See also
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