Jordan

When Transjordan became an independent entity in 1946 a new constitution was written. Article 21 stated that "communities should have the right to establish and maintain their schools for the teaching of their own members, provided they conform to the general requirements prescribed by law." When the constitution was revised in 1952, Article 20 proclaimed that primary education was to be compulsory and free in the public schools and open to all nationals. According to the Ministry of Education, the general objectives of education are: building up citizens' belief in God and their affiliation to their country and nation, endowing them with human virtues and perfection, and fully developing their personalities in their various aspects—physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, and social.

These objectives are based on a philosophy of education that stems from the Jordanian Constitution, Arab-Islamic civilization, principles of the Great Arab Revolt, and the Jordanian national experience.

The aims of education and the procedures for attaining them, according to the Ministry of Education, are:

• To abolish illiteracy and extend schooling by opening as many primary schools as will guarantee a free universal primary education.
• To orient all schools towards practical ends, both by revising present curricula and by strengthening and multiplying vocational establishments.
• To establish a limited number of secondary institutions in addition to the schools already in existence.
• To improve the professional training of teachers in rural and urban schools; in particular, training institutions are required for rural teachers to insure that they remain in the villages and help in improving the community life.

The general law of education (No. 20), issued in 1955, required that all schools be placed under the Ministry of Education and that certain subjects become required in private schools—Arabic, history, geography, and civics. The language of instruction for these subjects was to be Arabic, and each course was to follow the respective syllabus issued by the MOE.

The most significant legislation on education was the Law of Education No. 16, enacted in 1964. This law dealt with the overall philosophy of education in Jordan, specifying the objectives of the compulsory cycle as well as those of secondary schools and educational institutions. Article 4 of the law presented the basic philosophy of education as follows:

• To develop responsible citizens who believe in the basic principles of the constitution; the rights and the responsibilities of citizens; honesty and dedication to work; responsible behavior; and fruitful cooperation with others based on democratic relationships.
• To develop an understanding of the natural, social, and cultural environment starting with the home and ending with the world as a whole. This objective should aim at understanding the environment, its problems, and its urgent needs, and developing, in the individual, a sense of responsibility to do his share in the betterment of the environment.
• To develop pupils physically, socially, mentally, and emotionally, taking individual differences into consideration.
• To raise the health standards—in both the individual and the group—through proper health information and the development of appropriate habits.
• To raise the economic standards of the individual and the society and to increase the national income.
• To develop such skills as effective communication, critical and creative thinking, logical reasoning, orderly thinking, the ability to use scientific methods of investigation, and the proper engagement of relationships with others.

Article 6 of the Law classified schools by establishment, financing, and control. Public, or government, schools were under the Ministry of Education or other ministries such as Health, Defense, or Social Welfare. Private schools might be either national or "foreign." National schools were those established and run by individual citizens or agencies. Foreign schools were those established and administered by non-Jordanians, either individuals or agencies. Schools of this type could be secular or religious.

One of the most important outcomes of the First National Conference for Education Development in 1987 was the issuance of the Provisional Education Act No. 27 in 1988. The most important aspects of this act were:

• Classifying and identifying the philosophical bases and principles of education.
• Developing the general objectives of education and educational cycles.
• Expanding free compulsory education from 9 to 10 years.

The most significant law in recent years related to kindergarten, basic, and secondary education was Act No. 3 in 1994. This act regulates education and states educational philosophy, objectives, and policy, as well as the functions of the Ministry of Education. According to this act, the missions and responsibilities of the Ministry of Education include:

• Establishing and administering public schools at all levels and supervising private schools.
• Providing health and counseling services.
• Encouraging educational research.
• Enhancing educational relations inside the kingdom and with other Arab and Islamic countries.
• Establishing adult education centers.
• Furthering cultural and scientific development through libraries and museums, radio and television, lectures, clubs, societies, and appropriate magazines.

Regarding higher education, the most significant laws were:

• The Higher Education Act No. 28, 1985, which stated the objectives of higher education and how they are achieved, instituted the Higher Education Council, and listed other factors that regulate the affairs of higher education institutions.
• The Jordan Universities Law, No. 29, 1987, which listed the objectives of the university and established university councils, deans, and colleges.
• The Private Universities Law, No. 19, 1989, which specified the responsibilities of the Higher Education Council toward the work of private universities.

Other means used in developing and implementing educational change have been the various educational development plans. The general goals of these plans are to improve the educational outcomes, cope with scientific and educational changes, respond to needs of the labor market, and interact with the international cultural developments.

The first stage in the current educational plan was from 1988 to 1995. The goals in this stage were:

• Extend compulsory education to 10 years instead of 9 and reorganize secondary education into a comprehensive two-year program.
• Lower the illiteracy rate to 8 percent by the year 2000.
• Develop and expand vocational education and training.
• Develop curriculum and textbooks.

The second stage was from 1996 to 2000. The goals in this stage were:

• Improve the quality of educational leaders.
• Supply schools with educational resources.
• Develop vocational education and training to support the needs of the labor markets.
• Improve facilities for teaching and learning through expanding and constructing new schools, reducing rented school buildings, and furnishing schools to accommodate more students.
• Develop examinations to balance the content and goals of the new curricula.